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Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Rhubarb
Planting
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.
When to Plant Rhubarb
- Rhubarb can be planted in late fall or early spring.
- Plant rhubarb crowns after dormancy have 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.
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 a 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.
Cooking Notes
Check out our list of best rhubarb recipes to put your fresh rhubarb to good use! Plus, learn how to make a rhubarb tonic.
Catherine Boeckmann
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doing fall prep on my rhubarb and found termites eating my plant how do i get read of them?
Termites might on occasion infest living plants, preferring woody types, such as trees and shrubs. Sometimes they might attack rhubarb. This usually means that there is a colony of the insects nearby. For best advice about eliminating these pests, you might try contacting a professional exterminator. Also, your county’s Cooperative Extension would know the termite species prevalent in your area and might be able to offer information about control. Some species build nests in the soil, whereas others may live in dry or damp wood.
For contact information for the Cooperative Extension, see:
https://www.almanac.com/cooperative-extension-services
Here is an article from the Alabama Cooperative Extension on how to discourage termites in an organic vegetable garden:
https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/crop-production/management-tactics-for-termites-infesting-organic-vegetables/
Hope this helps!
This is my plants 2nd season grown in the pot they came from. They spent a NY winter in my garage in between growing seasons. The plants did die off over the summer in the pot before I could plant them late summer. I finally got my rhubarb patch set up and the plants planted. They have come up beautifully with some really big stalks. I'm praying they survive the winter and I have a great 3rd growing season. My question is can I pull some of the biggest stalks and use them to bake a small rhubarb crisp now? They look perfect but some where I saw not to use this late in the year stalks. Since they are a whole newly grown stalk are they safe to bake with? Thank you!
Hi, Kim,
Ideally, even though this is the second growing season from the pot, since the potted plant was just transplanted this year, you might want to give the plant a rest so that it can establish itself (which it sounds like it is doing nicely), survive the winter, and have a good reserve of energy to start the next growing season.
If you still would like to harvest a few stalks, do not take more than a third of the plant’s stalks (even less might be better). The stalks might be a little tougher than when picked earlier in the season, and the next year’s harvest may be less abundant if you harvest at this time. Do not harvest ANY stalks if frost has hit your area, as the toxins from the leaves might possibly leak into the stalks, if so.
Hope this helps!
This is my plants 2nd season grown in the pot they came from. They spent a NY winter in my garage in between growing seasons. The plants did die off over the summer in the pot before I could plant them late summer. I finally got my rhubarb patch set up and the plants planted. They have come up beautifully with some really big stalks. I'm praying they survive the winter and I have a great 3rd growing season. My question is can I pull some of the biggest stalks and use them to bake a small rhubarb crisp now? They look perfect but some where I saw not to use this late in the year stalks. Since they are a whole newly grown stalk are they safe to bake with? Thank you!
Replanting into larger planters, I have had them in for 10+ years. But have read not to use peat soil.
i have two rhubarb plants,, first time,, i understand not to eat until 2nd growth?. do i just cut stalks etc off and wait for next stalks please?
Yes, it's advised to wait it until the second season before harvesting.
I read in your article that "The leaves of the rhubarb plant are toxic", so can I put them on the compost?
Thank you for your help.
Hi, Agnes. Though the leaves contain oxalic acid, they are safe to put in the compost pile. The acid breaks down as the leaves decompose and the poison is not absorbed by the other compost pile components.
