Is anyone growing Rhubarb I bought a plant today?

[Gary350]

I bought a Rhubarb plant today. It is going to frost tonight so I planted it and covered it up. I don't know anything about Rhubarb is it a cold weather plant? My Grandparents had a 10 ft row of Rhubarb when I was a kid it would come up every year when weather got warm. Our last frost is usually about April 15th but I have seen frost May 1st and also no frost after April 1st. Tag on the plant says minimum of 6 hours of Full Sun every day. It is going to be 33 tonight and warm up to 72 tomorrow with 7 days of no rain in the upper 70s to 80 degrees all week. Is anyone growing Rhubarb what does this plant like?

[Taiji]

Main things I know about rhubarb are they are heavy feeders and like lots of water. I put a thick layer of composted manure on every spring and sprinkle with some ammonium sulfate every 2 or 3 weeks.

I bought 2 new roots this year myself, and set them out a couple of weeks ago. They began to leaf out and then got hit with heavy frost. They didn't show any signs of damage. Probably wouldn't hurt to cover new plants though on frosty nights. They say not to harvest any stalks the first year, but I can't seem to abide by that, I'm too impatient! I kept pulling them and they kept coming. But you decide!

My established plants came up on their own weeks ago and all the heavy freezes haven't even touched them. This Sunday will be our first rhubarb pie day of the new season!

Hearing that rhubarb leaves are poisonous I dared to set my first plants a few years ago out into the forbidden zone thinking the javelina wouldn't touch them. Wrong. Once they discovered them they began to destroy them as soon as they regenerated their new leaves. So, I moved them to a safe spot inside the garden fence. The move didn't seem to hurt the plants any.

Forgot to say too, that it's a little tricky to have rhubarb here because it's warm. It really grows better I think in the frozen north where the ground freezes deep down. I don't know how long my plants will keep going here, hopefully for a long time. I purposely remove all mulch in winter so that the roots can freeze if we have some cold snaps. Don't know if that helps or not. This will be the 3rd year for some of my plants.

I took a trip to the Yukon Territory a few years ago and rhubarb grows everywhere wild. Along the streets of town, everywhere. It was probably started by humans but just spreads all over on its own!

Long post, sorry.

[jal_ut]

I grow rhubarb. I just went out and looked, there are two plants coming up. Yes, it overwinters so put it where it can remain. Full sun is good. I don't know what your water situation is there, but here in High Dry Utah, things get irrigated once a week all summer.

[digitS']

...Forgot to say too, that it's a little tricky to have rhubarb here because it's warm. It really grows better I think in the frozen north where the ground freezes deep down. I don't know how long my plants will keep going here, hopefully for a long time. I purposely remove all mulch in winter so that the roots can freeze if we have some cold snaps. Don't know if that helps or not. This will be the 3rd year for some of my plants.

I took a trip to the Yukon Territory a few years ago and rhubarb grows everywhere wild. Along the streets of town, everywhere. It was probably started by humans but just spreads all over on its own!..

That's interesting! I knew that rhubarb was difficult to grow in the South but didn't know it was a wild plant in the Far North!

If you have questions about a location in your yard and a concern about southern heat, Gary, it might help to know that 5 plants do very well in my yard where the western sun is blocked by a building. They are only about 3 feet from the building and it begins to shade them in early afternoon. They have full sun until then.

They are decendents of a plant that grew right against the east side of my parents' home for about 30 years. We took root divisions and those have been in their current location for about 20 years. They do fine and better than quite a few rhubarb plants I see around.

Of course, we have pie and maybe a crisp or two but about the most interesting use I've found for rhubarb is for BBQ sauce.

Steve

[rainbowgardener]

It is very cold hardy and it does like some afternoon shade in hot weather. I have some I planted last fall that is doing well.

[Gary350]

What is the best way to get more Rhubarb plants from 1 plant? Does it make seeds or more plants from roots or what?

[rainbowgardener]

Rhubarb grows from a crown, which over time gets bigger and more crowded. Then you dig it up and divide it into several plants. But your rhubarb plant will have to grow by itself for a few years before it is ready to divide (at least three years). It won't flower the first year (or two?), but eventually it will flower. People usually just cut the flowers off, to keep more energy for the plant. If you want seed you can let it flower and set seed. But the crowns people buy and plant are second or third year from seed, so starting from seed is a slow way to get to rhubarb. Any way you do it, you are only going to have one plant for the next three or four years, unless you buy more or find a friend who grows rhubarb. Anyone who has been growing rhubarb for awhile has plenty they can divide and share.

It's not that expensive to buy. I just bought on-line four rhubarb crowns for $7, to add to the four I planted last fall.

[digitS']

Oh Boy, RainbowGardener will have lots of rhubarb to share with that many plants! With 5 plants, we have some to take to the farmers' market .

One should "stay ahead" of them. Many, many people just harvest the stems by pulling. It used to seem kind of risky to me and I cut them. However, Dad pulled the stems on his plant for years and I finally came around to that technique. The knife is there to cut the leaf from the stem.

The flower stems should be removed as soon as you identify them. If you don't do that, you see the leaf production slow and stop. They are a little difficult to pull so you may need your knife.

There's also little reason to leave old leaves down on the surface of the ground ... altho slugs are hoping that you do.

Steve

[Taiji]

Yes, agreed. My 3 year old plants are sending up seed stalks this year for the first time. I've been cutting them as quick as I find them. I guess they'll stop eventually. Yes, I definitely use a knife for the seed stalks, they don't come loose like the regular stems do. I usually just rock and pull the stalks to harvest. They seem to pop out of the socket purty easy with a few exceptions!

I think the official plant/flower of the Yukon is called the fireweed (if I remember right) but I thought it should really be the rhubarb plant. I mostly remember seeing it in Atlin, B.C. on the same trip, which is really close to the Y.T. I think I took some pictures; need to go look for them!

I got my plants this year and last from WM. They have 2 roots/crowns in a little bag for 2.50.

Neat thing about harvesting it, if you can't use it right away, I just cut the stalks into one inch chunks and put them in a plastic bag in the freezer. No prep required. Barbecue sauce. I never would have thought of that!

[rainbowgardener]

I just finished off some cherry salsa a friend of mine made. It was sweet and tart and spicy and all together wonderful. I bet a similar thing could be done with rhubarb. In fact here's a recipe: https://allrecipes.com/recipe/222272/tan ... arb-salsa/

[jasonvanorder]

Started out with 2 small crowns. Those 2 have grown into monsters! don't do anything special to them at all just cut them back and cover with leaves every fall. I have a coworker that for some reason just cant get his plants to grow. Here is what I get every year.

[rainbowgardener]

Wow! I've never seen rhubarb look like that!

[Taiji]

I remember you posting that picture last year. It really is astounding. I read an article recently on different types of rhubarb and one that was mentioned was a variety called Riverside Giant. Maybe that's what you have? Online photos look a lot like yours. Seems like it's a little hard to find though.

[jasonvanorder]

I remember you posting that picture last year. It really is astounding. I read an article recently on different types of rhubarb and one that was mentioned was a variety called Riverside Giant. Maybe that's what you have? Online photos look a lot like yours. Seems like it's a little hard to find though.

Yeah not sure what kind it is. My parents got them from my inlaws when I started dating my wife many moons ago.

[digitS']

So, your parents got into a rhubarb over your relationship.

But, you still ended up marrying the girl.

digitS'

[jasonvanorder]

So, your parents got into a rhubarb over your relationship.

But, you still ended up marrying the girl.

digitS'

Yup! Been together going on 19 years now.

[Gary350]

Flash flood rain every day this week Rhubarb is not looking good under water 1 of the plants is almost dead.

[rainbowgardener]

I swear, Gary, you must have some private little rain cloud that sits over your head. It always puzzles me how your weather can be so different from mine, just over an hour away.

I found this, weather almanac for Smyrna, TN, 12 miles from you.

https://www.wunderground.com/history/ai ... 9#calendar

It shows total of 2.62 inches of rain for the month of April, so far.

[McPeg]

We have "wild rhubarb" growing in Ontario. It is not edible but looks a lot like what is grown to eat. I wonder if that is what was seen in the Yukon?