Rhubarb stems, heralding the arrival of spring in gardens, emerge from the soil at the beginning of the growing season. These tangy and vibrant stems enhance pies and jams with their tart flavor, which is commonly balanced with sugar or paired with sweet strawberries.
In the garden, rhubarb contributes a visually striking element with its sturdy, blocky stems and expansive leaves. Although the leaves provide a textured aesthetic, they are not meant for consumption due to their high oxalic acid content. When cultivating rhubarb, it is advisable to harvest the stems, discard the leaves, and include them in the compost pile.
Rhubarb grows best in zones where the ground freezes in winter. Plants require an extended chilling period with temperatures below 40 degrees to produce a crop of stems. As a result, rhubarb is commonplace in gardens throughout the coldest sections of the country.
Quick Guide to Growing Rhubarb
– Plant rhubarb during the cool days of early spring, once the ground thaws.
–Â Rhubarb produces a harvest for up to 8 years, so grow it in a sunny area where it will go undisturbed for a long time.
–Â Give rhubarb room to spread out by planting them 4 to 6 feet apart.
–Â Improve your native soil by mixing in several inches of aged compost or other rich organic matter.
–Â When hot weather arrives, apply a 2-inch layer of mulch to keep soil moist and help block weeds.
–Â Check soil moisture regularly and water when the top inch of soil becomes dry.
–Â Feed rhubarb regularly with a continuous-release plant food.
–Â Start regular harvesting in year 3 when stalks are 12 to 18 inches long and reach their ideal red color.
Soil, Planting, and Care
Being a genuine perennial, rhubarb plants have the potential to produce harvests for 5 to 8 years or even longer. Given their reluctance to transplant successfully once established, it’s crucial to select your planting location with care. Additionally, beginning with high-quality plants will contribute to the overall success of your rhubarb cultivation.
Young Bonnie Plants rhubarb plants are strong and vigorous, so you’re already ahead of the game when you plant. Rhubarb thrives in full sun but will yield to light shade. Select a location that gives plants ample room; individual rhubarb plants can measure up to four feet wide and tall.
Plant the crowns during spring as soon as the soil becomes workable. Place the plants in slightly acidic soil that is abundant in organic matter. Mix in a generous amount of well-rotted manure or compost, or enhance the soil by incorporating Miracle-Gro Performance Organics All Purpose In-Ground Soil enriched with aged compost.
Plant rhubarb crowns at a shallow depth of approximately 4 inches. However, since rhubarb plants have high nutritional needs, dig planting holes that are at least a foot deep. If your soil has a heavy clay composition, it might be beneficial to opt for raised beds filled with soil specifically formulated for that type of growing environment when planting rhubarb.
Water newly planted crowns, and keep soil moist throughout the growing season. As summer heat arrives, mulch plants with a 2-inch-thick layer of organic mulch, such as compost, straw, or shredded bark. Replenish mulch throughout the growing season as needed to maintain 2-inch thickness.
Best growth comes from using plant food that works in concert with the soil to provide just the right nutrition for your rhubarb plants.In fall, when stems die back, remove all plant debris. Mulch plants after the ground freezes, covering crowns with 2 to 4 inches of compost or leaves.
Troubleshooting
Established plants need to be divided every 5 to 10 years. You’ll know it’s time to divide when stems are crowded and thin. Divide when plants are dormant, in early spring or fall. Dig and lift clumps, cutting roots into pieces about 2 inches across. Take care not to damage the buds on the top of each root section. Replant the best sections.
Few problems plague rhubarb. Crown rot settles in when soil drainage is poor. This disease damages terminal buds, which results in spindly, weak stems. The cure is to dig out and burn infected plants. Don’t replant rhubarb in areas where crown rot has damaged plants before.
Leaf spots can attack the plant, with the worst being red leaf, or Ramularia, which can ruin the stems. Cut away old foliage in fall to help prevent leaf spot, whose spores overwinter in the debris.
Rhubarb curculio occasionally attacks plants. Insects puncture leaf stalks from late spring to early summer as they feed and lay eggs. Damaged stems ooze sap and may begin to decay.
Harvest and Storage
Do not harvest rhubarb during the first year after adding it to the garden. In the second year post-planting, exercise caution during harvesting by only removing a small number of stalks from each plant. From the third year on, harvest stems freely. To ensure continued production, take care not to remove more than one-third to one-half the stalks from any one plant during any one harvest.
To harvest, choose stems that are 12 to 18 inches long and reddish in color. Grasp the stalk near the base and pull it upwards, twisting the stem as you pull. You can also use a sharp knife to slice stems from the plant. Cut as close to the crown as possible without damaging it. After harvesting, remove the leafy portion and the base of the stem, leaving only the colored stalk.
Early spring stems offer the most flavor and tenderness; they’re ideal for pies. Stems harvested later in the season tend to be tougher, so reserve them for stewing, sauces, or jams.
Stop harvesting as stems get shorter and thinner. At this point, plants are storing up energy for next year’s harvest. Mature plants typically provide an 8- to 10-week harvest. In general, expect 2 to 3 pounds of stalks per mature plant per season.
For the best quality in cooking or freezing, use freshly harvested stalks. If that is not possible, keep cut stems up to 1 week in the refrigerator, although crispness diminishes with storage. You can refresh crispness by standing stored stems in water before using; however, the flavor will be slightly diluted. You can also chop stems and freeze the pieces in a plastic freezer bag for much later use.
Source: Bonnie Plants
