Growing rhubarb is easy and a perennial that will come back year after year. Here is everything you need to know to plant and harvest rhubarb.
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Rhubarb is a hardy perennial that will come back year after year, usually stronger and bigger. It’s one of those plants that make you feel like a great gardener because growing it is so easy. Similar to horseradish and asparagus, it’s pretty hard to kill. Just when you think it’s gone for good, it pops up again. Yay for the plants that are hard to kill, am I right!?
As long as you keep the plant healthy it can produce for up to ten years or longer. My mom is still harvesting off the same rhubarb plant that she has had since I can remember. This year it was the biggest we have ever seen. So I think it is safe to stay, rhubarb kicks ass in the garden and it will be around for years to enjoy. Not to mention how beautiful its big green leaves are.
So what is Rhubarb?
Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable that is has a tart, sweet flavor. It is often used in pies and other fruit-like recipes, but rhubarb is a veggie! Its tart flavor works so well in sweet desserts.
The stems are the only part of the plant that is edible. The leaves are very poisonous and should never be ingested. This goes for pets also, if your dog can’t resist a nibble, plant the rhubarb in a closed garden area. Don’t throw the leaves away though, you can put them in the compost bin.
Growing rhubarb
Rhubarb can be planted by seed or by getting a crown from a nursery. A crown is similar to a bulb, once it is planted, covered in soil, and watered, it will start to grow. It will go dormant over the winter and reemerge in spring.
Planting a crown is the easiest way to plant rhubarb. Plant a one-year crown (an established plant that is at least one year old) in early spring after the last frost and as soon as the ground is workable. Plant in a hole about a foot deep, fill with nutrient-rich soil and plant the crown only four inches deep.
If you missed the early spring planting time, no worries! Rhubarb can also be planted in the fall before the ground freezes and dormancy has set in.
As I mentioned, the rhubarb plant will be around for a while and can grow quite large. Plant it in an area with lots of sun and room to grow.
Caring for rhubarb
After planted in the Spring watch for the seed stalks and cut them off once they appear. This is to ensure that the plant does not bolt – bolting is the plant’s natural attempt to make seeds so it can reproduce. If bolting occurs it is basically telling the plant to put its energy into producing seeds and not growing the edible parts.
Rhubarb plants love to eat good nutrients like mulch, compost, or manure. Cover in a thick layer to protect the plant and keep it well-watered during the hotter months. Although rhubarb plants are heavy feeders, do not use chemical fertilizer because the contact with nitrates can kill the plant.
Once the leaves start to die back naturally in the fall, remove the dead leaves by cutting them off to expose the crown. Cover the ground around the crown in another thick layer of mulch to keep the soil moist and provide nutrients for the next season.
When the rhubarb plant reemerges the next Spring, it won’t require much need from you but remove any weeds around the plant and cover with a layer of mulch or compost.
After 4-6 years, in the late fall or winter when the crowns are completely dormant you should dig them up and divide them. This will help production and will multiply your crop. The divided crowns can be replanted or given away to a friend.
How to harvest rhubarb
In the first year after planting, do not harvest from the plant. This is to let the plant establish and not shock the plant when it’s still a wee babe.
Harvest in the spring or the fall. It is possible to harvest in the summer, but do not take too much off of the plant or it will strain it. A good rule of thumb is not to harvest after the end of July. Choose stalks that are at least 12 inches long and cut at the base.
If the stalks look thin, give that plant a break from harvesting. Thin stalks mean that the plants food reserves are low.
How to store rhubarb
Rhubarb is best fresh, but you can store it a few different ways to enjoy throughout the year. Store fresh rhubarb in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Freeze it by cutting into 1″ pieces and placing it on a baking sheet. Once completely frozen remove and place in a zip lock bag or a vacuum sealer. Pickling rhubarb is another great option to store.
How to use rhubarb
We have come to the best part! Enjoying delicious rhubarb recipes and there so many good ones. Pies, jams, muffins, crisps you name it. Rhubarb isn’t just an ass-kicker in the garden, it’s a versatile veggie that makes the most delicious treats.
RHUBARB RASPBERRY GALETTE
topped with vanilla ice cream
HONEY LIME RHUBARB PIE
with a flaky pie crust
RHUBARB PASSION MARGARITA
from Half Baked Harvest
RHUBARB BAKED OATMEAL
from Salted Plains
RHUBARB SHORTBREAD CRUMBLE
from The View From Great Island
source: Farmer’s Almanac, Bonnie Plants
Great blog, Kay,
I never knew any of this about Rhubarb. I did know that we have a wild relative to Rhubarb in the Southwest — we went on a tour of natural native foods and I sampled the stem of the desert rhubarb. It’s very tiny, compared to what you are growing.