Back to Info Sheets	Growing Rhubarb      Rhubarb will grow and produce on most soils, but a deep, well-drained sandy loam or silt loam is preferred.  Organic matter content in light soils to be used for rhubarb should be increased by additions of peat moss, manure, or compost.  When selecting a rhubarb planting site, also consider:   1) exposure: earliness is favoured by a southern exposure, free from shading trees or buildings;   2) location: because rhubarb is a perennial, it should be planted to one side or at the end of the garden so as not to interfere with planting and growing other vegetables;   3) weeds: the area should be free of quack grass and other hard-to-control perennial weeds.     Rhubarb is not grown from seed but from roots or crowns of plants at least one year old.  These new crowns or sets come from older crowns.  The sets can be purchased in pots and can be planted from early spring until fall.  The crowns should be planted one metre apart in each direction: square planting allows for cultivation in two directions.   Crowns should not be covered too deeply: 5 to 6 cm. Will be adequate.  The tops of the buds should be just visible above the soil surface.  Established rhubarb beds should be divided every 5 to 7 years or when the stalks become thin.  Planting stock is prepared by splitting a crown into 4 to 8 pieces (divisions), depending on crown size, so that each new set or crown will have at least one bud and a large root piece for nourishment.  Only healthy plants should be used for replanting.  Spring division is preferred, although rhubarb can be planted in the fall after dormancy occurs.  A good rule for spring planting is to plant as early as soil can be worked.   An 8 to 10 cm deep mulch of clean straw, sawdust, peat moss, or similar material can help control weeds in the planting and conserve soil moisture for plant growth and development.  Flower stalks should be removed as they appear.   Leafstalks should not be harvested the first year and only a few should be harvested the second year.  After the crop is established the second year, rhubarb is harvested in late May and throughout June.  The leafstalks are harvested by grasping them near the base and pulling them slightly to one side of the direction of growth.  Stalks can be harvested as soon as they reach desired size.  Harvest only the largest leafstalks, leaving sufficient leaf area to ensure a good crop the following year.  The leaf tissue should be removed from the stalks and discarded.  Fresh rhubarb can be stored 2 to 4 weeks in perforated polyethylene bags in a refrigerator crisper compartment.   Depending on how much your family likes rhubarb, 3 or 4 plants will soon produce a good supply  for the average family for many years to come.   Vol. 97 no. 29
© Murray's Garden and Horticultural Services Last updated: March 6, 2008