Rhubarb

Great for pies and jams- tart and tasty! Nothing says springtime like rhubarb’s fresh, tangy flavor. Its pucker-power is exactly what makes rhubarb the world's favorite pie plant. Rhubarb is grown all over the country (except in the Deep South). It is very winter hardy, drought resistant, and prefers cool weather. It can be grown in areas where the weather is warm or hot, but the leaf stalks may become thin and spindly. Rhubarb has big, heart-shaped, crinkled leaves and red-tinted stalks. It is showy enough to qualify for a top spot in a display garden and is often listed in catalogs as a must-have landscape plant. For the gardener looking for an easy-to-grow food plant, rhubarb tops the list. These easy to grow, attractive perennial plants will accent your landscape and remain productive for decades.

Plant rhubarb in a sunny location in early spring after the ground warms to 50°F in well-drained fertile soil. Space plants 3’ apart in a row, with 5-6’ between rows. If planted too closely, stalks will be scrawny and more susceptible to disease. When planting, the crowns with new buds should be about 1” below the soil. Rhubarb is a heavy feeder so it is important to mix a good amount of fertilizer and compost into the soil before planting. Rhubarb can take two or three years to become fully established. For best results, do not harvest stalks the first year, and sparingly in the second. The following harvests will be bountiful for years to come. When harvesting, remove less than half of the stalks at any time so that the roots will maintain their strength for the following season. It grows quickly in the early spring and can be harvested until early summer. Remove flower spikes from plants as soon as they emerge for faster growth. Rhubarb is ripe when the stem is reddish and shiny. The duller colored stems are more mature and tend to be tough. To harvest, hold the stalk near the base and pull sharply or cut with a sharp knife at ground level.

NOTE: At shipping time, your plants will just be emerging from dormancy. Plant them immediately to avoid any plant injury. BE SURE TO WATER YOUR PLANTS REGULARLY THIS FIRST SEASON TO HELP GET THEM ESTABLISHED.

SHIPPING INFO: Live products have fixed ship dates based on your location. Garden Galleries products will ship to you directly from our supplier via UPS in early spring unless you specify a later ship week in the Order Notes field at checkout. Shipments continue through late spring until the product is sold out. Please see individual product pages for more information and any state restrictions.