Rhubarb
Rheum rhabarbarum
Belonging to the Rheum genus, Rhubarb has a botanical name of Rheum rhabarbarum.
Make sure not to eat the leaves of Rhubarb – they are poisonous to humans.
Rhubarb grows as a perennial and is an edible vegetable / fruit. Being a perennial plant, it tends to grow best over several years (approx 3 years and greater). Rhubarb normally grows to a clump-forming habit with a max height of 3.25 feet (that's 1.00 metres metric). Expect blooming to occur in late spring and harvesting to start by mid spring. Popular varieties of Rhubarb with home gardeners are Victoria, Glaskin's Perpetual, Timperley Early, Crimson Red, and Canadian Red.Russia is thought to be the country of origin for Rhubarb.
Due to how easy it is to grow in a variety of conditions, Rhubarb is great for beginner gardeners and those that like low maintainance gardens.
This plant info is provided by the myfolia gardener's wiki. All details about Rhubarb have been kindly provided by our members.
How to grow Rhubarb
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Full Sun
Growing Rhubarb from seed
If you grow from seed it will take an extra year to produce stalks and will not always be true to type.
Plant or divide when plant is dormant, in early spring or fall. Soil temperature should be below 50º F.
Transplanting Rhubarb
Thrives in rich, well-drained soil. Loosen the dirt to a depth of at least 10 inches and mix in plenty of compost, well-rotted manure and a handful of fertilizer such as 5-10-10. Rhubarb plants are very heavy feeders and manure should be added to the soil every year. Plant the crown so that it’s covered with only an inch or two of soil. Allow each plant about one square meter of space.
Harvesting Rhubarb
Break off the stalks at the base. Cut off an throw away the poisonous leaves—it is the stalks you want. Stop using the rhubarb when the plant begins to produce spindly stalks. Always leave plenty of foliage to sustain the plant’s roots for next year’s growth.
Companion plants for Rhubarb
These plants have been known to grow well alongside Rhubarb so consider planting:
Repellent plants for Rhubarb
These plants will not grow well with Rhubarb so avoid planting these within close proximity:
Common Rhubarb problems
These problems, diseases and pests are known to affect Rhubarb plants:
Other names for Rhubarb
Garden rhubarb, Ruhbarb
Rheum rhabarbarum L.
Latest Rhubarb Reviews
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01 May 2011
macchick's Rhubarb "Canadian Red" was Reviewed day 694
Rhubarb care instructions
How long does Rhubarb take to grow?
Footnotes
fn1: “Growing Rhubarb” http://gardening.about.com/od/vegetables/a/Rhubarb.htm
Popular varieties of Rhubarb
- Victoria
- Glaskin's Perpetual
- Timperley Early
- Crimson Red
- Canadian Red
- Crimson Cherry
- Red Champagne
- Victorian Red
- Champagne
- Raspberry Red
View the complete variety list for Rhubarb »
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