Growing Rhubarb

Rheum rhabarbarum : Polygonaceae / the dock family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
      P                

(Best months for growing Rhubarb in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • P = Plant crowns
  • Easy to grow. Plant pieces of rhizome or roots 8 - 10 cm (3 - 4 in.) deep. Best planted at soil temperatures between 41°F and 68°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 35 inches apart
  • Harvest in approximately 1 years. You will have a stronger plant if you leave it for about a year before using..
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Brassicas (Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, etc)

Your comments and tips

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12 May 16, Jill (Australia - temperate climate)
You should be fine growing it in Qld. Its the cold it doesnt like.
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06 May 16, Jeannie (Australia - temperate climate)
Can we grow rubarb here on the Gold Coast ? Itcosts a fortune here to buy in theshops.
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22 Apr 16, Steve (Australia - temperate climate)
Rhubarb loves lots and lots of cool manure - cow is great. You can't put too much of it around the plant.
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18 Apr 16, glenda deschamps (Australia - temperate climate)
We have had our rhubarb in for more than 1 year and the leaves and stalks are growing beautiful but are still green. When will they turn red?
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22 Apr 16, Tempest (Australia - temperate climate)
They won't. It sounds like you have a green-stalk variety of rhubarb. If the stalks aren't even partially red when they first sprout then it's not a red variety. I've got three different red rhubarb varieties and even the dullest colour one had stalks come up with a pinky tinge to it. Do you know what the variety you have is called? Also, whether it was grown from crown or seed? For example I've heard that the Victoria variety can be either red or green, and if it's grown from seed then it's far more likely to end up being green.
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02 Sep 16, longinthetooth (Australia - temperate climate)
The culinary web sites recommend the green varieties, better taste, but quite difficult to find.
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18 Apr 16, Julie (Australia - temperate climate)
We have a rhubarb that doesn't seem to ripen to red stalks it is in a large pot could this be the problem
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15 Apr 16, Janys (Australia - temperate climate)
We have 3 crowns of Rhubarb, they get all the necessary TLC but the stems don,t grow more than 10cm length at maturity and about thumb thick how can I get them to grow longer stems ?
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13 Apr 16, Shirley stephen (Australia - temperate climate)
What manure do you use to make winter Rhurbarb which grow green stalks into Red This was on a better homes and gardens a few weeks ago
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12 Apr 16, Cassie (Australia - arid climate)
I have the same issue and have just reconciled myself.
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Showing 261 - 270 of 472 comments
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If you can plant them either in big pots or in dappled sun/part shade it may be helpful but I don't think shade cloth would help as much as drip irrigation may. Best of luck!

- Mindi

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