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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10 Dec 13, Gabrielle (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
I have a rhubarb plant that has grown lots of very large stalks with huge leaves. The stalks are red at the base but quite green for most of their length. How do I know when they are ready to harvest?
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24 Mar 14, Colleen (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Rhubarb is ready to use whenever you feel it is big enough, it does not ripen as other crops.
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12 Dec 16, Ken Thackeray (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Rhubarb seems to come in several varieties, almost all green stemmed to deep red. I have grown both types and as long as the stems are of a decent size they taste much the same when cooked. Delicious ! Just don't eat it too often, as rhubarb is very high in Oxalic Acid and can be toxic in large doses.
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27 Jun 20, Grant Hackett (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
You can safely eat as much rhubarb stalks as you like, just don't eat the leaves, that is the part of the plant that is toxic but they are safe to compost
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23 Jun 13, Jill Selwood (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
My rhubarb has very large leaves and very short stems. How do I get it growing the other way round?
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04 Sep 18, Heather Auckram (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
It could be the variety. I grow rhubarb in Southland, where we get winter snows. The variety I grow is Cardinal Crunch. It has short fat stems, rich red in colour and big leaves.
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08 Sep 13, Colleen S. Johnson (New Zealand - temperate climate)
You don't. Rhubarb can vary greatly from the parent plant if grown from seed. Best to get a division from a plant with the characteristics you want.
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16 Dec 12, Bridget Baynham (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Can rhubarb be grown in a large pot?
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08 Sep 13, Colleen S. Johnson (New Zealand - temperate climate)
It will grow well in a large pot. Remember it is a gross feeder and likes plenty of fertiliser.
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05 Oct 11, linda (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
I have a rhubarb plant that is a year old and I see it has stalks that look like they have seeded. Do I just cut these out and will the plants keep doing this. This is my first go with rhubarb. Thanks Linda
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Showing 21 - 30 of 31 comments
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My rhubarb has been doing very well for a few years, just north of Sydney, in raised beds. I split them up last year and they have produced heaps of stems. In late November the leaves became dark and hard and crinkled - but stems look OK. I can't find any disease that would cause this. Is it disaster? I have kept water up to them, and the soil was well manured when I replanted them.

- Geoff

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