Rhubarb plants provide pink stalks that are sweet and perfect for desserts, jams, jellies and more. You can grow your own rhubarb in your garden, even if you don’t have a great deal of space or gardening know how. Another perk is that rhubarb is a perennial, which means it will grow back year after year! Want to know more? Take a peek below at these helpful tips on how to grow rhubarb this summer and have this sweet treat ready at your fingertips.
How to Grow Rhubarb
How to plant rhubarb:
You can plant rhubarb from seed, but you should know it is a slow to mature plant and will not be ready to harvest this season. Instead, opt to plant rhubarb “crowns” which are rhubarb plants that are 1-2 seasons old. They are not only easier to plant but will start producing for you the first year you try them.
When planting your rhubarb crowns, you want to loosen the soil so the roots can spread as much as a foot deep easily. Then, bury the crowns about four inches deep. Rhubarb crowns should be spaced out with about two feet in between each plant.
If you would rather plant your rhubarb in a container, feel free! Rhubarb grows well in containers as long as they are ample in size. Remember that the roots need a good foot or more to stretch out, so choose a container that can accommodate this.
How to care for rhubarb plants:
Newly planted crowns need a lot of fresh water to get a strong start. Be sure to water your rhubarb plants so they get about 2 inches of water per week. A few inches of mulch can help the plant retain moisture during the warmer months.
Rhubarb appreciates fertilizer several times during the growing season. You can give the plant a basic fertilizer every four weeks. You won’t need to worry about pesticides as few pests pay any attention to rhubarb plants. Just watch for signs of rot or decay on the leaves which can occur if the soil quality or drainage around the plant is poor. Remove these portions of the plant as you see them.
Every 4-5 years you may need to thin out your rhubarb crop. Simply remove plants so a space of at least a foot can be in between plantings. At the end of the growing season, simply cut the crown back down to the base and cover with several inches of mulch. You can then look forward to a new crop growing next year!
How to harvest rhubarb:
You will know that your rhubarb is ready to harvest when the stem is about 12 inches in length and a pinkish red color. You can cut it with a knife at the base of the crown to remove it. A good crown can produce as much as 2 pounds of stems if not more. Once you harvest your rhubarb, you can use it in one of these delicious rhubarb recipes.
Once the growing season for your rhubarb is over, you can look forward to new crop next year. Taking care of your rhubarb plant now can insure you enjoy many prosperous growing seasons to come. Give these tips for growing rhubarb a try and see what results you can achieve.
More Vegetable Growing Tips
- How to Grow Corn
- How to Summer Squash
- How to Grow Zucchini
- Tips for Growing Peas
- Tips for Growing Spinach
- Tips for Growing Cabbage
- Tips for Growing Parsnips
- How to Grow Radishes
- Tips for Growing Swiss Chard
- Tips for Growing Brussels Sprouts
- Tips for Growing Heirloom Tomatoes
- Tips for Growing Kale in Your Garden
- Secrets to Growing Summer Squash
- Tips for Growing Arugula in Your Garden
- Tips for Growing Broccoli in Your Garden
- Tips for Growing Beets in Your Garden
- Tips for Growing Cauliflower in Your Garden
- Tips for Growing Kohlrabi in Your Garden
- Tips for Growing Carrots in Your Garden
- How to Grow Eggplant
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CajunJules says
Can a rhubarb plant grown in a container, kept outdoors in MN summer and indoor during the cold months continue to grow year round? Or should I let it get cold being outside and cut it back when I bring it indoors? Or is there a site that covers growing rhubarb in containers year round?
Thanks in advance for your help!
~CajunJules, Garrison, MN
Betty Russell says
Does the flowering head affect the plant to eat the stalks?
Betty Dzurak says
How you start rhubarb from seeds? My rhubarb wasn’t doing well. Didn’t know you needed to start it out again. Never fertilized it neither. My moms grew every year and spread. She never did anything to it. I love rhubarb.
Jacqueline I Hibbs says
My 6 plants are 3 years old..they come us in the spring and look great but go to seed ..big hollow seed heads..when pulled no further growth…have planted in sun and part sun,!
Susan Carlsen says
Get your I’d of the seed pod. Your plant will continue to grow
Joanne says
Sun or shade?
Jill says
I have horiible looking bugs on my rhubarb leaves ,puts me off eating the rhubarb .how can I ger rid of them please.
Alea Milham says
I use soapy water. 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap to 1 quart of water. Shake well. Then spray on the leaves.
Tracy says
My rubarb also has asparagus planted next to it and they all flourish!!
I also cut the flowers off before they bloom
Pedi says
If you have an ant problem try sprinkling corn starch around your plants. That should solve the problem
Debbie says
This may sound like a dumb question but what is a Crown?
Cindy says
When the stalk is drowning out of the ground.
Chris says
I planted a rhubarb root ball in spring. Nothing came up. Would it have been a bad root ball or will it come up me t spring? It had plenty of water and was in full sun.
Sue says
I have ants in my rhubarb plants for the last 3 years. It tried sprinkling dried grits. Ant traps. They tend to keep on hilling up soil all around the plants, causing low yield of stalks any advice?
Michele says
I was told never to cut rhubarb, pull and twist, so it will produce more
Apple says
I feed my rhubarb old coffee and used grounds diluted in a gallon or two of water. Even in the snow I will go once or twice out there and pour this over the snow where they grow. I have great rhubarb!
CajunJules says
That’s a great idea! Is there a preference of caffeinated vs decaffeinated? I just moved into a place that has 2 rhubarb plants coming up. One is doing well, the other one is struggling. I’m going to try this to see if it helps. Thanks! ~CajunJules, Garrison, Minnesota
Chrysta says
I was surprised to see I should be cutting the rhubarb when harvesting it. I was taught to pull it free. If the soil was extremely wet I would be reluctant to pull it though. My rhubarb bed is crowded and beneath a 50 year old soft Maple, so I am planning to move the smaller crowns to a raised bed soon. I just purchased organic manure from Walmart as rhubarb is a heavy feeding plant.
ruth bostick says
how long are the rhubarb plants good for to use before they go to seed
Fred Reeve says
Rhubarb will flower as soon as it gets hot.
carol brown says
I planted 2 rhub. starts I bought from WalMart. Thought it was cool they even had it… anyways, 3 years later, the plants are the same size, they never grew, I’m beginning to think they’ve gone bonsai. I live in Virginia, we used to have cold winters. This past winter was the mildest winter ever. I’ve been gardening since my Mom pulled me out of the cabbage patch. I can grow nice big melons. I still want rhubarb. Thanks for listening.
Cherylee Stead says
Twist stems off from base, if you pull you risk pulling base out.
Fred Reeve says
I’ve been pulling my rhubarb for thirty plus years hasn’t bothered the plant in the least.
Ann says
Same here. Have always pulled & was taught that growing by a neighbor that had a huge patch & shared with the neighbors. Maybe if your roots don’t grow deep enough you could pull up a plant. But I’ve pulled pretty hard on mine & never had a problem nor have I ever pulled up a root.
Alea Milham says
I think you also need to factor in the soil type. If you are growing your rhubarb in looser soil, then pulling on a stock can pull up a plant in especially in its first couple years. An older, established plant can usually withstand a stock being pulled off, even in looser soil.
Fred Ford says
You pull the stems, do not cut it.
Ann says
That is what I also learned growing up. I wondered if I was the only one that thought it had to be pulled. I was taught if you cut them the plants don’t do as well & it ruins the crop. My rhubarb patch keeps expanding & produces till we get a freeze. It does need water during a dry season or it gets dry stalks & whithers.
Alea Milham says
I have cut my rhubarb and it flourishes. Cutting it will not damage it. Pulling it may not damage it, but it certainly doesn’t help it.
Paula Clark says
I have only ever pulled my rhubarb stalks and have a wonderful rhubarb plant that is 12 years old.
Clare says
I gave my neighbor some of my rhubarb and ever since have not had a good froth on mine. What’s wrong
Pat Kennedy says
I live in zone 8, here in Virginia Beach. I am a transplanted Northerner, originally. I LOVE Rhubarb. Growing up we had huge plants of it in the garden. In PA.
Sadly ..I have been here for 30 years, and tried growing Rhubarb easily 14 times. Never had it come back.i have spent one huge chunk of change trying to get it to grow. In the ground. In raised beds. In shade. In sun. I even put umbrellas over it to shield it. Nothing. I go to Kroger for the frozen stuff now. And can catch it at Harris Teeter, if I play my cards right!
So…tell me. What else could I have done? I am so sad.
Shannon says
I am told that rhubarb needs the cold of winter to come back the next year. I don’t know if it needs a freeze or just a frost.
Cherylee Stead says
We grow rhubarb here in the Australian Central Tablelands in NSW. We have frost & snow here & very hot in Summer. Our soil is very poor but they flourish. We only use tank water & it is from a tank that we wouldn’t drink from. We have (I think) 20 litre drums, top & bottom cut off, around each plant which forces the stems to grow longer.
Cherylee Stead says
We also cut the flowering stems off before they flower
sharon stoltzfus says
Every plant has a companion plant and an enemy plant. So you could check into that! I plant asparagus and rhubarb in the same raised bed and they do great!
CajunJules says
Can you explain more about a companion and enemy plant? And how will that affect a single rhubarb plant coming up?