How To Grow Rhubarb At Home

09.02.2024 - 10:19 / getbusygardening.com / Amy Andrychowicz

Rhubarb is easy to grow, and an excellent choice for beginners and experts alike. Especially if you want a low-maintenance option for your vegetable garden.

This hardy perennial is a staple for many long-time gardeners. But, to be successful, you must first understand how to care for it correctly.

In this guide, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about growing your own rhubarb, no matter what your skill level. You’ll find all of the essential information about soil, water, fertilizer, sun, temperature, pest control, and much more.

Table of Contents

Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) is a perennial vegetable native to Asia that’s been cultivated worldwide for hundreds of years.

It has long stalks, or ribs, with large green leaves at the top. A mature plant can be 4’ wide or larger and have stalks that are red, pink, or green.

The leaves contain oxalic acid, which makes them toxic and inedible (source). But gardeners love the stalks for their sour, tart flavor. They’re popular in baking, preserves, desserts, and sauces.

These low-maintenance plants rarely has pest or disease problems, and they can continue to produce for 8-15 years.

There are many varieties of rhubarb with differences in hardiness, stem color, size, and growth rate. But thankfully, all of them can be cared for in the same way. Here are a few of the most popular types:

Rhubarb is a very cold hardy perennial that will come back every year in zones 3-8. Temperatures as low as -20°F (-28°C) won’t damage it.

In fact, it needs the cold to produce new stalks every year. You’ll have a hard time growing rhubarb if it doesn’t get below freezing where you live.

The edible fibrous stalks grow from buds that form around the crown or rootball. Each year, clusters of new buds