How to Grow Rhubarb

Rhubarb is one of the easiest crops to grow. Plant it once and it will produce for 10 years or more with minimal care.

Planting

• Plant dormant crowns from November to March.
• Choose a sunny or partially shaded spot.
• Dig in plenty of well-rotted manure or compost.
• Plant with the crown (growing point) just at or slightly above soil level.
• Space plants 90cm apart – they grow large.
• Water well after planting.

Care

Rhubarb is low-maintenance once established:

• Mulch with compost or manure each spring.
• Water during dry spells, especially in the first year.
• Remove flower stalks as they appear – they weaken the plant.
• Let foliage die back naturally in autumn.

Harvesting

• Do not harvest in the first year – let the plant establish.
• In the second year, take just a few stalks.
• From the third year, harvest freely from April to July.
• Pull stalks with a twisting motion rather than cutting.
• Stop harvesting by mid-July to let the plant recover.
• Never take more than half the stalks at once.

Forcing rhubarb

Forcing produces tender, sweet stems earlier in the season:

• Cover the crown with a forcing pot, bucket or bin in January.
• Exclude all light.
• Harvest the pale, tender stems after 4-6 weeks.
• Only force established plants (3+ years old).
• Rest forced plants for a year or two before forcing again.

Dividing

After 5-6 years, plants may become congested and less productive. Divide in winter:

• Lift the whole plant.
• Cut into sections, each with at least one bud.
• Replant in fresh, well-prepared soil.
• Do not harvest the first year after dividing.

Problems

• Crown rot: Caused by waterlogging. Improve drainage and avoid burying the crown.
• Thin stalks: Usually means the plant needs feeding or dividing.
• Bolting (flowering): Remove flower stalks promptly. More common in dry conditions.

Recommended varieties

• Timperley Early: Early cropping, good for forcing.
• Victoria: Reliable old variety, heavy cropping.
• Champagne: Sweet flavour, attractive red stems.