Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Garden Articles >> Gardening tips

Growing Rhubarb: Perennial Vegetable for Pies, Jams, and More

Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable used as a fruit in desserts and jams. Only stalks are edible—rich, tart flavor. Leaves are poisonous—never ingest. Easy to grow but needs cool weather.

Planting

Eliminate all perennial weeds first.
Site: well-drained, fertile, preferably full sun. Best where winter avg <40°F, summer avg <75°F.
Plant 1-year crowns early spring when ground workable, roots dormant, before growth or just leafing out.
Fall planting after dormancy also works.
Dig large bushel-basket holes. Space 4 ft apart. Plant roots 1–2 inches below surface.
Mix compost, rotted manure, or high organic matter into soil. Rhubarb are heavy feeders. No chemical fertilizer at planting or year 1—nitrates kill plants.

Care

Mulch generously with straw and cow manure—nutrients, moisture retention, weed suppression.
Water well—needs consistent summer moisture.
Remove seed stalks as they appear.
After first spring, apply light high-nitrogen fertilizer (25-3-3 or 10-6-4) as ground thaws so fertilizer enters soil without root burn.
Weed-free plants avoid insects/diseases.
Divide roots every 3–4 years. Early spring or fall when dormant.

Pests and Diseases

Crown rot

Harvest and Storage

Year 1: no harvest—let plants establish.
Harvest stalks 12–18 inches long. After ~3 years, harvest runs 8–10 weeks. Stop if stalks thin—reserves low.
Grasp base, pull with gentle twist. If needed, cut at base. Discard leaves!
Always leave ≥2 stalks/plant for continued production. Up to 20 years without replacement.
Post-harvest: stems may die back. Remove debris. Once ground freezes, mulch 2–4 inches (well-rotted compost preferred)—adds nitrogen for spring.