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Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Rhubarb
Growing
Overcrowding is a common problem with rhubarb and can lead to subpar growth. Dig and split rhubarb roots every 3 to 4 years. Divide when plants are dormant in early spring (or late fall). Divisions should have at least one large bud on them.
- Mulch generously with a heavy layer of straw to retain moisture and discourage weeds.
- Water your plant well and consistently. Rhubarb needs sufficient moisture, especially during the hot, dry summer days.
- Remove seed stalks as soon as they appear, as they will only drain energy from the plant that could be used to produce stalks or roots.
- Each spring, apply a light sprinkling of a fertilizer (10-10-10) when the ground is thawing or has just thawed. See your local frost dates.
- In the fall, remove all plant debris. Once your ground freezes, it鈥檚 best to cover rhubarb with 2 to 4 inches of organic mulch, preferably well-rotted compost. By adding nitrogen to the soil, you鈥檙e preparing the rhubarb plants for a good spring season.
Cooking Notes
Check out our list of best rhubarb recipes to put your fresh rhubarb to good use! Plus, learn how to make a rhubarb tonic.
Catherine Boeckmann
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The 4th of July cutoff date is not because of any danger of poisoning. The eight to ten weeks of harvesting has passed and the plant now needs to feed the roots and prepare for next years production. The quality of the stalks usually has deteriorated as well but are not dangerous. The flower stalks have no effect on the plants edibility. They are removed so the plant can use its energy to produce stalks instead of seeds.
Hello, we moved into a house that has 2 huge, old Rhubarb plants. It looks like they were ignored for a few years. Should they be cut back to almost nothing? They already have seed heads on them. Thanks
Cut off the flower stalk鈥攏ot the leaf stalks鈥攁t the base (don鈥檛 twist the flower stalk; instead, use a knife or pruning shears to make a clean cut on these tougher stalks). This way, the plant can focus its energy on forming leaf stalks (which might be useful to you now!). To help prevent bolting again this year, add mulch to keep roots cool during warm spells. Be sure that the plant is getting enough water, light, and nutrients, and isn鈥檛 overcrowded. Add lots of organic matter in fall. You should have many happy harvests in your future!
Large leaves and stalks, overall appears quite healthy. I have almost no red coloring on stalks. Is this normal? Can I still harvest ?
Because your rhubarb is in its third year, we’ll assume it’s not just a white variety. Perhaps your plant is getting too much sun. If the stalks are the right size for harvesting, try cutting off one to test, then take the rest if it seems ready. If not, let it mature a bit more.
I am a senior citizen and have had a hard time finding rhubarb to purchase, so last year I purchased a rhubarb plant and planted it in a large pot. I put it in the garage to keep through the winter as it gets very cold here at times.. it continued to grow in the garage! I then made sure I kept it watered occasionally. It now is just producing thin stalks that aren't large enough to break off for cooking. I was planning to repot it. Would it help or harm the plant or have I runined it already? Also would I need more than one plant to have enough to make a pie etc.? Thank you
Congratulations on keeping the rhubarb going in the garage. It must be in good soil in a good place. Thin stalks are typical of a first-year plant. As noted above, it is best not to harvest in the first year. You can repot it; this should not harm the plant. Set it in plenty of organic/composted matter and it should thrive. As for how much would you need for a pie, this one requires 2 1/2 cups: /recipe/strawberry-rhubarb-pie-coconut-crumb-topping
You can see more rhubarb recipes, using varying amounts, that might appeal to you, too: /content/best-rhubarb-recipes
Our rhubarb is well established. We moved it once for this exact reason thinking that was the case. The stalks do not turn red and the plants (we have 20 or so) all bolt quickly. Is there any truth to the male female stalks like corn has?
It’s natural for rhubarb to flower and go to seed. However, you can delay that stage a few ways: Grow Canada Red or Valentine varieties; they are less likely to bolt that 鈥渙ld-fashioned鈥 varieties such as Victoria and MacDonald (these are heavy stalk producers). Older/more mature plants are more likely to bolt than younger ones, although dividing every 4 to 5 years, as it sounds like you did, can essentially rejuvenate mature plants. Applying fertilizer (a balanced type, e.g. 12-12-12) or well composted manure in spring can also delay/discourage bolting. If your plant volts/produces flowers, it is recommended that you remove them, so it will focus its energy on producing leaves.
We are not familiar with rhubarb compared with corn, but the stem and leaf tissue of rhubarb can be damaged by the European corn borer larvae, which as the name indicates is a pest of corn, both sweet and grain.
My rhubarb doesn鈥檛 get big enough to eat. The leaves are getting holes I assume from a bug of some type. People talk about flowers as part of the rhubarb but i鈥檝e never had any flowers. HELP!!
