11:17 - 10 November 2010
There are few plants in the fruit and vegetable garden that are as prolific, versatile and as early as rhubarb and yet many gardeners still don’t grow it
When it comes to growing fruit, rhubarb is one of the easiest and yet often most misunderstood plants. If you’ve never tasted the delights of early forced rhubarb then you really haven’t tasted the fruits of your labour, and yet to get these tender pink stems you have to jump through a few hoops. It starts in the dormant season when huge established rhubarb crowns are split or planted. So if you want to grow something tasty, productive and easy to grow now’s the time to get started.
Planting and dividing
Planting is best done in the autumn when the plants are dormant. You can either divide an existing clump or plant budded crowns. Buy large crowns from a reputable source or beg a split off another gardener who is dividing their clump this autumn. Like many perennial plants Rhubarb can outgrow its space and may need dividing to keep it productive.
If you split a crown then you want 2-3 buds per clump otherwise it doesn’t have enough energy to get going. Generally as long as your rhubarb has plenty of room to grow and is healthy there is no need to divide it. In fact if you do dig it up and divide it you will have to wait 3-5 years before harvesting again, so it is much better to choose the perfect place for the rhubarb to start with.
Established crowns need to be split using two spades. It’s a two-person job and the root is very woody. Individual sections should be planted straight away with the crown slightly protruding out of the soil. Ideally you want the crown just sticking out of the ground. Use a piece of wood across the hole to show how high the crown is. It’s important not to have it too low or you might rot the crown. Fill in around the plant and firm in with the your feet.
Cultivation tips
Soil
Rhubarb likes an open site but plants are also very happy with some shade. It’s important to prepare the soil before planting for the best results.
Rhubarb plants need really good rich ground to start them in because they are going to be there a very long time. That goes for any perennial vegetables that you grow in the garden, artichokes and asparagus, you want the ground to be well cultivated and a mulch put on because that plant is going to be there for a very long time. If you start them off in poor soil you’ll end up with a poor plant. Whatever you put into your soil you get back from your plant, your soil is your most important part of the garden.
Good Varieties
Timperley early is a popular variety because it produces early stems en masse and it doesn’t go to seed so you get all the energy diverted into making rhubarb sticks and you get a lot more rhubarb per plant. It’s a very, very vigorous rhubarb.
Rhubarb connoisseurs grow champagne rhubarb, it isn’t as vigorous as Timperley early, but it is a beautiful rhubarb, it bears very tall sticks and it’s a chef’s delight, but it’s not so vigorous.
Forced rhubarb is sweeter than unforced stems and it has the lovely pink colour that remains on cooking.
Pest control
Fresh rhubarb growth is susceptible to slug attack. Use organic slug pellets around newly planted crowns and also any other vulnerable plants. When there is nothing else in the garden, especially when the garden has been cleared, rhubarb is often their first source nourishment and so they will come in and eat them off.”
