Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Rhubarb
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Planting
Rhubarb grows best in full sun but will tolerate partial shade.
Choose a site with soil that is well-draining and fertile. Good drainage is essential, as rhubarb will rot if kept too wet. Mix compost, rotted manure, or anything high in organic matter into the soil. Rhubarb plants are heavy feeders and need this organic matter. Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.
Rhubarb gets big! It can grow to 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Make sure you choose a site where it won’t be crowded.
When to Plant Rhubarb
- Rhubarb can be planted in late fall or early spring.
- Plant rhubarb crowns after dormancy have set in in the fall, and you’ll have rhubarb cropping in the spring!
- In spring, plant crowns when the soil is workable, when the roots are still dormant, and before growth begins (or as plants are just beginning to leaf out). If you have a temperature gauge, soil temperature should be 50°F minimum.
How to Plant Rhubarb
- Plant 1-year-old rhubarb crowns, which you can find at a garden center, or nursery, or order online. Plants will be sold as bare-rooted specimens or young plants already growing in pots, ready for transplanting. (Rhubarb can be grown from seed, but this is not recommended.)
- Before planting, eliminate all perennial weeds in the planting site.
- Dig large, bushel-basket-size holes.
- Space rhubarb plants about 2 to 4 feet apart and 3 to 4 feet between rows.
- Plant crowns so the eyes are about 2 inches below the soil surface with buds facing up.
- Water well at the time of planting.
Check out this video to learn more about how to plant 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’s best to cover rhubarb with 2 to 4 inches of organic mulch, preferably well-rotted compost. By adding nitrogen to the soil, you’re preparing the rhubarb plants for a good spring season.
These common varieties have attractive red stalks and excellent growers:
- ‘Canada Red’
- ‘Crimson Red’
- ‘MacDonald’
- ‘Valentine’
In addition to the previous four, there is a reliable, green-stalked cultivar named:
- ‘Victoria’
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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Hi, Robin: It’s really best to wait until rhubarb is dormant or just coming out of dormancy before dividing. That being said, if this were some sort of emergency situation, we would probably try it if we had really robust plants that might withstand the shock. But not much would then happen this year anyway, so why not wait? As a matter of fact, you can tell your friend that we advised you to wait one more year, just to make sure that she gets the very best plants possible, as such a good friend truly deserves! Thanks for asking, good luck, and save a piece of pie for us! We’ll be right over.
Can wood mulch ,such as cypress, be used instead of straw?
we live in southeast Va and my husband being from Wisconsin wants to grow Rhubarb. Our temps average well over 75 in summer so my question is how can he grow rhubarb here. we have tried the last 2 years with no success but he doesn't want to give up. HELP
Not sure if I did this right, but I am from Minnesota and I too wanted ssome in my yard. Last Sept. I was back "home" and my sister in law gve me some roots. They were in some dirt on the plane and we did not get them in the ground or 5 days. After 32-4 weeks I got 3-5 stalks on each root that I planted. They die off with winter but right now they have healthy stalks an the leaves are getting broader. I did plant them in some sunny areas with no soil prep and no fertilizers added. Hope this helps.
We had a 1 1/2 inch snow yesterday on plants that are 1-2 feet tall. Do I need to cut all the stalks down or only the stalks that show possible frost damage on the leaves ? I am not sure what to do. Thank you.
Rhubarb usually can tolerate temperatures in the low 30s, even upper 20s (degrees F), but can suffer damage below that. As you know, one has to be careful about rhubarb, because if the leaves suffer cold damage, the oxalic acid from the leaves may filter into the stalks, making them toxic as well. Signs of cold damage are blackened, shriveled, limp leaves and limp, mushy stalks. If you see any damage to either leaf or stalk, discard both leaf and stalk. To be on the safest side, you can cut all stalks down regardless of whether they show signs of damage, and wait for the plant to recover and start new growth. However, some sources say that that might not be necessary. If you wish, you can wait a few days to see if any damage becomes evident, then discard only the affected leaves and stalks. Otherwise, if your plants do not show any sign of damage, and the stalks are firm and upright, some sources indicate that these healthy-looking stalks should be fine to harvest. For more information, you might visit:
https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/1997/5-2-1997/rhubarbsafe.html
https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/lamourecountyextension/frosted-rhubarb
http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state/newsdetail.cfm?NewsID=30622
I bought 4 rhubarb plants, potted them individually, 3 are growing, 1 died. They are getting very tall and falling over, then the leaves begin to wilt, do they need to be cut back? Its still to cold to put them in garden, 4 x 4 raised beds or on sloping hill side garden. Not quite sure what to do.
In the middle of my rhubarb plants, there is a one smaller then the others, the leaves are not as big and are wrinkled. In the middle of the leaves is a round thing, looks simpler to a calliflower. Do you know what it could be?
That's a flowering bloom. You don't need it, in fact, it's alright to cut it out so that the plant will focus on growing stalks.
I have a rhubarb plant growing in a 4x8 raised bed that survived through our winter here in Oregon and is growing very large. This bed will be exposed to full sun whenever it is not overcast or raining, lol!
My question is - are there any other vegetables that would do well as a companion to the rhubarb in this bed? Or, are there any that should NOT be planted near rhubarb?
Thank you in advance.
