Growing Rhubarb

Rheum rhabarbarum : Polygonaceae / the dock family

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

(Best months for growing Rhubarb in New Zealand - cool/mountain 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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11 Jun 13, Eve (Australia - temperate climate)
I have noticed with my rhubarb is they tend to wilt easily and need constant supply of water when it is particularly hot. They appear to need more water when younger. I also have an older plant which seems more robust.
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06 Feb 13, ken bulmer (Australia - temperate climate)
i live in adelaide.the storks green not red,can we still eat them.manythanks.ken
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12 Feb 13, Tash (Australia - temperate climate)
Yes you can still eat them, the inside is green regardless of what the outside looks like. Be sure to chop the leaves of straight after cutting the stalks as the leaves are poisonous and the poison will leech into the stalks if you don't remove them.
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27 Jan 13, Philip bailie (Australia - temperate climate)
Can we eat of the first pick or not and do we cut the leaves off when they are big so the little stems underneath get sun light
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20 Jan 13, Michael Du PONT (Australia - temperate climate)
I have several Rhubard plants, we went away at Christmas, we have automatic retic which comes on every two days. As you will be aware, Christmas saw WA peak at 6 days at +40, on our return I found that all my Rhubard (Stalks & Leaves) were dead and lifeless (Horizontal) What should I do ? Are the crowns still OK or should I dig up and start again?
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21 Jan 13, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Mine died off - completely black - in the last drought period here, then grew back in time to be knocked off again by the recent heat. I think yours have a good chance of surviving if they've been established a while.
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17 Jan 13, Jim Kay (Australia - temperate climate)
How much water do the plants need ? should they be kept damp or allowed to dry out ? I'm not having much success
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14 Jan 13, Elsie (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
This plant seems to be almost unavailable. Where in the world can one get hold of seedlings or seeds if possible? Thank you for your good work!
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19 Nov 13, Baré Vorster (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
Seeds for Africa has Victoria seeds avaliable.
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13 Jun 13, (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
You can obtain seedlings from a Nursery in Rosetta/Nottingham Road in KZN
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Showing 571 - 580 of 636 comments
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you really are better off putting them in a raised garden bed with mixed clean top soil, lots of compost, peat moss, blood meal, and a slow release fertilizer. Rhubarb get very large and can live for many years and their root systems can get quite large, keeping them in pots will restrict their growth and you will have to water more often and continually use fertilizer more often then them being in the ground.

- Laura Ellington

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. GardenGrow is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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