How to Start and Care for a Rhubarb Plant
I received a question via e-mail from a fellow gardener asking general questions about starting & maintaining Rhubarb
Some of this information is scattered in different articles on this site. This is a full run down.
If this is the first year that you planted your rhubarb do not harvest the rhubarb stalks. The plant will need time to develop the root system. If you harvest the first year, the plant will not grow well.
Seed Stalks
Rhubarb sends up stalks that have seeds / flowers, the stalks are hollow inside. It can be several times a year that your plants will shoot up seed stalks.
That is perfectly normal. For the first year, as you see the stalks leave them grow. If you have removed the seed head stalks, no problem, you did no harm to the plant yet. Just let the next one grow.
Watering
Make sure that you keep the soil moist by watering the plant at the root base very well for the first season. Don’t overhead water. For the first year don’t fertilize the plant either. You can mulch the plant to retain water with grass clippings, wood chips or mulch.
Fertilizing
Next year (year two) in the spring, you will see red bulbs emerging from the soil. That is the start of the leaves and stalks. It will look rather funny. This is when you will need to fertilize the plant.
You can use a 10-10-10 fertlizer
If you follow my instructions for the first two years, you will have plenty of rhubarb to make up for the wait and establishment of your plants. Still want MORE? See this post. I shared one of my largest secrets.
When Can You Pick Rhubarb?
The year after you plant rhubarb (2nd year), you can harvest 3-4 stalks. The first year you plant, the plant is still developing its root system, and yields in future years will be greatly reduced if you harvest too much. After the plant has been in the ground for a couple of years you can harvest your rhubarb normally (never more than 25 percent at one picking, even when well established).
The first month to six weeks the stalks are tender. The stalks are good for use in pies, tortes, etc. For the last 3-6 weeks, the stems are better suited for jams and sauces.
Rhubarb can be picked when the stalks reach 12 inches in length. The thickness of the stalk doesn’t matter.
Your second year and every year following. Remove the seed heads and flowers up until mid-summer to early fall. If you do not, it is NOT going to hurt your plant. It will only leave you a shorter harvesting period. The stalks get woody, even when faithfully picked. It is best to give the plant a few weeks before going into winter to grow a seed/flower stalk. This makes the plant stronger. If I am finished harvesting for the growing season I just leave the entire plant alone. I never remove the leaves.
Winter Care
For winter, spread grass clippings, leaves, or 3-4 inches of mulch over the crown of the plants to protect the crowns from harsh winter weather if you live in a cold climate. Remember mulching adds nutrients to the soil.
Hope this gives you a good idea of how to grow your rhubarb. Pretty soon, you will be enjoying a plentiful crop.
Additional Posts That May Interest You:
How to collect seeds from rhubarb
How to plant your rhubarb seeds to grow new plants
Testing soil for lead
Planting horseradish
Stepping stone from rhubarb leaves
Happy Gardening!!
AFFILIATE POLICY: Posts on this site may contain links to outside vendors that pay me a commission when you purchase from them, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting this site!
