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Planting and Growing Rhubarb

Botanical Name
Rheum rhabarbarum
Grown as
Perennial
USDA Zones
3a
3b
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
Toxicity
Toxic to Dogs and Cats
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Partial Sun
Water Needs
Moderate
Height
3-6 feet
Spread
3-6 feet
Soil pH
Acidic
Neutral
Special Features
Cut Flower
Low Maintenance
Attracts Pollinators
Deer-resistant
Rabbit-resistant
Resilience
Cold Hardy
Plant Type
Vegetables
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

What grows for 10 years or more, suffers from almost no pests, and is refreshingly easy to care for? It’s rhubarb! This perennial vegetable has tart-flavored ruby or green stems used to make pies, crumbles, cakes, jams, and sauces. Learn how to plant, grow, and pick rhubarb correctly.

Rhubarb is easy to grow but needs a dormancy period to thrive and produce an abundance of huge stalks. Rhubarb does best where the average temperature falls below 40ºF (4°C) in the winter and below 75ºF (24°C) in the summer.

What’s lovely about rhubarb is that it’s a perennial: A healthy plant will remain productive for 10 years or more. For that reason, rhubarb should be planted in its own space in any corner of the garden where it can grow undisturbed. Rhubarb grows well in soil amended with plenty of well-rotted manure or compost; this has inspired some gardeners to plant it near their compost piles!

Planting

When to Plant Rhubarb

  • Rhubarb can be planted in late fall or early spring.
    • Plant rhubarb crowns after dormancy has set in in the fall, and you’ll have rhubarb cropping in the spring!
    • In spring, plant crowns when the soil is workable, when the roots are still dormant, and before growth begins (or as plants are just beginning to leaf out). If you have a temperature gauge, soil temperature should be 50°F minimum.

Spacing for Rhubarb

Where to Plant Rhubarb

Rhubarb grows best in full sun but will tolerate partial shade.

Choose a site with soil that is well-draining and fertile. Good drainage is essential, as rhubarb will rot if kept too wet. Mix compost, rotted manure, or anything high in organic matter into the soil. Rhubarb plants are heavy feeders and need this organic matter. Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.

Rhubarb gets big! It can grow to 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Make sure you choose a site where it won’t be crowded. 

How to Plant Rhubarb

  • Plant 1-year-old rhubarb crowns, which you can find at a garden center or nursery, or order online. Plants will be sold as bare-rooted specimens or young plants already growing in pots, ready for transplanting. (Rhubarb can be grown from seed, but this is not recommended.)
  • Before planting, eliminate all perennial weeds in the planting site.
  • Dig large, bushel-basket-size holes.
  • Space rhubarb plants about 2 to 4 feet apart and 3 to 4 feet between rows.
  • Plant crowns so the eyes are about 2 inches below the soil surface with buds facing up.
  • Water well at the time of planting.

Check out this video to learn more about how to plant rhubarb:

Growing

Overcrowding is a common problem with rhubarb and can lead to subpar growth. Dig and split rhubarb roots every 3 to 4 years. Divide when plants are dormant in early spring (or late fall). Divisions should have at least one large bud on them. 

  • Mulch generously with a heavy layer of straw to retain moisture and discourage weeds.
  • Water your plant well and consistently. Rhubarb needs sufficient moisture, especially during the hot, dry summer days.
  • Remove seed stalks as soon as they appear, as they will only drain energy from the plant that could be used to produce stalks or roots.
  • Each spring, apply a light sprinkling of fertilizer (10-10-10) when the ground is thawing or has just thawed. See your local frost dates.
  • In the fall, remove all plant debris. Once your ground freezes, it’s best to cover rhubarb with 2 to 4 inches of organic mulch, preferably well-rotted compost. By adding nitrogen to the soil, you’re preparing the rhubarb plants for a good spring season.

Rhubarb leaf

Harvesting

Do NOT harvest any stalks during the first growing season. Harvest sparingly in the second year. This allows your plants to become properly established.

  • After a plant’s third year, the harvest period (rhubarb season!) runs 8 to 10 weeks long, lasting through mid-summer.
  • Harvest stalks when they are 12 to 18 inches long and at least 3/4-inch in diameter. If the stalks become thin, stop harvesting; the plant’s food reserves are low.
  • Grab the base of the stalk and pull it away from the plant with a gentle twist. If this doesn’t work, you can cut the stalk at the base with a sharp knife. To prevent the spread of disease, be sure to sanitize the knife before cutting. Discard the leaves.
  • Always leave at least two stalks per plant to ensure continued production. You may have a bountiful harvest for well over 10 years without replacing your rhubarb plants.
  • It was once believed that the entire rhubarb plant became toxic as summer temperatures rose. This isn’t true, although summer-harvested stalks usually have a tougher texture than those picked in the spring. Nevertheless, after midsummer (July), it’s best to leave stalks on the plant to allow them to gather energy for next year’s growth.

How to Store Rhubarb

Cut the rhubarb stalks and refrigerate in a covered container. Or, tightly wrap stalks in plastic or aluminum foil and refrigerate. Rhubarb can be kept fresh in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

Cut rhubarb stalks into pieces, place them in a covered container or zip-type plastic bag, and put them in the freezer. Frozen rhubarb will last about a year.

Pests and Problems

Pests and diseases are rarely an issue with rhubarb, but it may be affected by the following problems.

Rhubarb Pests and Diseases
Pest/DiseaseTypeSymptomsControl/Prevention
Botrytis (gray mold)FungusVaries; yellow/ brown/gray spots with water-soaked margins on leaves/flowers; gray mold; buds remain closed; stem lesions; wilt/rot; scorched appearance (“fire”) in some plantsDestroy infected parts/severely infected plants (do not compost); remove plant debris regularly; disinfect tools; good air circulation/sunlight; avoid overhead watering; prevent plant stress/injury; weed; rotation
Fungal leaf spotFungusVaries; leaf spots on lower leaves enlarge and turn brown/black; fuzzy growth or pustules in lesions; disease progresses upward; leaves dieDestroy infected leaves/ severely infected plants (do not compost); remove plant debris regularly; disinfect tools; resistant varieties; good air circulation; avoid overhead watering
Phytophthora crown and root rotOomyceteLeaves discolor/ wilt; dieback; oozing cankers near base; reddish brown discoloration of inner bark/wood; roots rot; plants slow-growing/stunted/dieDestroy infected plants and surrounding soil (do
not compost); prune out branch cankers; remove plant debris regularly; plant resistant varieties; prevent plant stress/injury; provide good drainage/do not overwater
Rhubarb curculioInsectWeevil-like beetle that bores into stalks/crowns; notches on stalks/leaves; holes in stalks leak sap; plants wilt/decayHandpick adults (appear in mid-May); destroy nearby host plants (sunflowers, thistle, dock) in mid-summer (July)
Slugs/snailsMolluskIrregular holes in leaves; slimy secretion on plants/soil; young stems “disappear”Handpick; avoid thick bark mulch; use copper plant collars; avoid overhead watering; lay boards on soil in evening, in morning lift and dispose of pests in hot, soapy water; drown in deep container of 1/2 inch of beer or of sugar water and yeast sunk to ground level; apply 1-inch-wide strip of diatomaceous earth

Toxicity
The stalks are the only edible part of the rhubarb plant. These have a rich, tart flavor when cooked. The leaves of the rhubarb plant are toxic. They contain an irritant called oxalic acid, so be sure that they are not ingested.

Types

These common varieties have attractive red stalks and excellent growers: 

  • ‘Canada Red’
  • ‘Crimson Red’
  • ‘MacDonald’
  • ‘Valentine’

In addition to the previous four, there is a reliable, green-stalked cultivar named:

  • ‘Victoria’

Wit and Wisdom

Rhubarb originally came from Asia. It was brought to Europe in the 1600s and to America shortly thereafter. It thrives in areas with a cooler climate, making it popular in northern gardens.

Rhubarb has many other uses, from medicinal to cosmetic. See how to naturally lighten your hair with rhubarb. 

Vegetables

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening, so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Sasiedenburg</span> Fri, 08/14/2015 - 10:18
It is now mid August in northwestern Illinois. My neighbors have two HUGE well established and very healthy rhubarb plants but hate rhubarb. They want to get rid of them. What are the likelihood that if I dig out a plant and transplant it that it will survive and grow again next year? Is it even worth trying to save these plants?
<span>Sue Devito</span> Mon, 09/05/2016 - 13:41
I hope you received an answer to your question in time to "save" the neighbor's rhubarb. The answer is: YES! YES! YES! You can transplant it.. My sister has successfully transplanted a "chunk" of our father's rhubarb patch in Iowa to 2 or 3 different homes in Iowa and Michigan over the last 10 years. We grew up with that patch and are both now old enough to be collecting our Social Security so it was definitely an established patch and was still thriving. She recently brought me a "chunk" to plant at my home in southern VA. Since I live in the woods in the country, direct sunlight is an issue so I have planted it in a LARGE 24" x 20" plastic tub. We drilled holes in the bottom for drainage, and are going to build a plant holder with wheels to make moving, when necessary, a bit easier. It's going to sit on my back deck since that's the sunniest place I have. My herbs and other plants thrive there and it saves them all from the deer. I intend to let it winter there as well, unless we get an extremely cold spell and then it's going into the garage so the whole container doesn't freeze solid.
<span>Holly Wilkins</span> Mon, 08/10/2015 - 12:09
I have read through all these questions and have not found an answer to mine. I bought 3 small (in 4" pots) rhubarb plants in early June from a garden center. They are growing exceptionally well! so well in fact that some stalks are breaking off at the base due to the heavy drooping weight! I know I should not harvest any stalks this first year, but can I cut off a few of the HUGE leaves to make the stalk less heavy? biggest leaves are over 24" long (I just measured). I live in Northern Vermont.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 08/11/2015 - 09:42

You'll need to save the leaves as well as the stalks that first year, as it is the leaves that are making the food for the plant to establish its root system. (These plants are now out of their pots and in the ground, right?) Is there any way to give the stalks support where they meet their heavy leaf? Are the stalks thick and healthy or weak and spindly? It is possible that overcrowding is an issue, making weak stalks; if all else fails, try removing one or two of the outer stalks (and the poisonous leaves), allowing light to penetrate the center of the crown--but again, if you do this, you may be lessening the ability of the plant to establish before winter. With very vigorous first-year plants, though, a very light harvest is sometimes tolerated. Good luck!

 <span>Holly Wilkins</span> Tue, 08/11/2015 - 17:38
Thank you for your super-quick response! Yes the plants are in the ground. The stalks are very thick and and healthy, but I will try to put some objects under them for support. Thanks again for the advice!
<span>Miriam Brown</span> Fri, 07/31/2015 - 17:19
Will rhubarb grow in Florida or is the weather too warm?
<span>Rae Bressler</span> Mon, 09/28/2015 - 11:37
I would like to know if I could grow rhubarb in Arizona??
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 09/29/2015 - 14:31

You can grow rhubarb as an annual in Arizona. Plant in late summer or early fall and harvest during the winter months or early spring.

 <span>Irena</span> Thu, 09/08/2016 - 02:17
I live 50 miles south of Los Angeles and this area used to be covered with commercially grown rhubarb plants, some are still growing in Long Beach and other places farther inland from the plants of 50+ years ago. There are rhubarb plants grown commercially in the foothills above San Diego which is another 100 miles south from here. The variety is called Victoria. I planted 12 plants which I had received from Burpee last fall. They arrived looking dead but I planted them anyway, what did I have to loose? They have grown up to be big beautiful plants from just last fall (2015) to now (September 2016). I have harvested many thick stalks, at least 4 times so far and there are still thick stalks, perhaps not as long as they had been. Today's harvest will probably be the last for this season. They are green with just a touch of red at the very bottom. I grew them in raised beds filled with composted horse stable sweepings, no fertilizer of any kind, no weeds either. Once the leaves have died back I will cover the beds with more horse stable sweepings so that the plants will have plenty of nutrients. I am looking forward to next spring for another season. Victoria should grow well in Arizona also, and not just as an annual, just be sure to give it enough water, I had to go every day during the past summer to water and we've had several weeks ( but not contiguous) of 100F with the humidity going down to 30%, the leaves were drooping very much but recovered within a very short time while I watered the rest of the garden. Good luck.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 08/10/2015 - 08:36

Rhubarb does not really do well in Florida. Rhubarb needs a cold period of temps below 40 degrees to produce luscious new stalks. Gardeners trying to grow it in the deep south are advised to treat it like an annual. Buy new crowns, freeze them for 6 weeks, and then plant.