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.
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.
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’
In order to maintain the redness of your rhubarb, make sure you clean up the dying foliage from it each fall. Cut the stems off as they begin to die back or thoroughly rake the area after all the plant material has died back. Be sure to divide regularly. But usually, it actually doesn't matter if it's green or red in terms of cooking or taste; it's just the color.
In terms of hole in leaves, that's often a sign of slugs, common garden pests. Slugs prefer moist, shaded habitats and will shelter in weeds or organic trash. Be extra careful to remove any garden or plant debris near the rhubarb to promote good air circulation and reduce moist habitat for slugs. At night, go out and you'll see slugs with a flashlight. PIck slugs to decrease population; spread wood ashes around plants; we like to use "lure" by putting out grapefruit skins which they would rather eat. Destroy any slugs found feeding on lure. Another popular way to get rid of slugs is to sink shallow dishes filled with beer into the soil to attract and drown the molluscs; organic controls include ferrous phosphate.
It's fine to transplant rhubarb in spring, preferably early spring. Just make sure that you place each section upright in the planting hole with the buds 1 to 2 inches below the soil surface. To aid establishment, don't harvest any rhubarb the first 2 years after planting. Rhubarb can be harvested for 4 to 6 weeks in the third year and until mid-June in succeeding years.
While rhubarb leaves do contain poisonous oxalic acid and should not be eaten directly, they can be placed in the compost pile. And decomposing rhubarb leaves can be safely applied to the vegetable garden. Oxalic acid, like other organic acids, are not readily absorbed by plant roots.
June is not the ideal time for transplanting rhubarb, as it's typically too hot and sunny and can cause the plants stress, greatly reducing their likelihood of surviving. If you don't have the luxury of waiting until fall (or, even better, next spring), you should focus on keeping the newly-transplanted plants well watered. After transplanting, monitor the plants closely and do not allow them to dry out. Consider using a layer of a light-colored mulch (such as straw) to hold in moisture, too.
Good! Harvesting too early could have been the cause of the subpar taste. Mature stalks should be at least an inch in diameter and be full and juicy. Harvest in the morning before the afternoon sun and heat have a chance to draw moisture from the leaves.
- « Previous
- 1
- 2
- …
- 10
- Next »
Comments