Rhubarb Essentials

Articles→Plants→Edibles→Small Fruits and Berries

Planning

• Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable; put it where it won't be disturbed.
• Purchase and plant rhubarb roots (not seeds) in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked.
• Three to five plants should provide enough for an average family.

Preparation

• Select a well-drained site in full sun.
• Eliminate all perennial weeds before planting.
• Dig large bushel basket-size planting holes and add a mixture of equal parts garden soil, sand, and rotted manure or compost.

Planting

• Space rhubarb roots 4 feet apart. Set roots so buds are 1 to 2 inches below the surface of the soil, cover with soil, and firm the area.

Care

• Mulch with straw and composted manure if possible to provide nutrients and retain moisture during the summer.
• Remove seed stalks as they form.
• Fertilize in the early spring each year with 2 to 3 shovelfuls of well-rotted manure per plant (or 1/2 cup of 5-10-10 or similar fertilizer). Side-dress plants at the same rate in early summer after the main harvest period.
• Dig and split roots every 3 to 4 years. Expand your patch or give root sections away.
• If you keep your rhubarb patch weed-free, it is not apt to be disturbed by insects or diseases.

Harvesting

• Start harvesting the year after planting in early spring when the stalks are 12 to 18 inches long.
• When the plants are established (after 3 years), the harvest period should run 8 to 10 weeks, or until the stalks become thin, a sign that the plants' food reserves are low.
• At least one third of the stalks should be left on the plant after the harvest.
• The petioles (leafstalks) are edible; the leaves are poisonous.

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