{"id":2334,"date":"2020-03-27T06:03:29","date_gmt":"2020-03-27T06:03:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/?p=2334"},"modified":"2020-03-27T06:18:12","modified_gmt":"2020-03-27T06:18:12","slug":"rhubarb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/2020\/03\/27\/rhubarb\/","title":{"rendered":"Rhubarb"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Introduction<\/strong>: Rhubarb was first grown in gardens for medicinal purposes, but\nlater began to be eaten as a food. It eventually became popular in the cooler\nareas of northern Europe as a substitute for fruit in desserts (it can be\nharvested early in the year, before any real fruit is available). Presumably\nthis only happened after cheap sugar became available to sweeten it, as it is\nvery sour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rhubarb is quite an acquired taste and some people can\u2019t see any\nvirtues in it at all. However others, usually people who have grown up with it,\ncome to love it (and even crave it in spring). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ease of growing<\/strong>: If your climate is right this\nperennial is one of the easiest things you can\nput in your garden. Just put it in the ground and it will grow and produce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutritional content<\/strong>: Rhubarb contains vitamins C and K, as well as magnesium,\ncalcium, potassium and manganese. It is also rich in fiber. It contains about 100 calories per pound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rhubarb also contains oxalic acid, which can prevent the\nabsorption of calcium. This is a relatively minor effect however and nothing\nfor anyone with a reasonable intake of calcium to worry about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate<\/strong>: Rhubarb is native to Siberia and so very hardy (to -20\u00b0F). It\nprefers cool moist summers (no higher than 75\u00b0F) and cold winters (below 40\u00b0F)\nwith some freezing. When growing in cool climates rhubarb needs a sunny site,\nwhere it won\u2019t get too much frost (which could delay early harvests). In hotter\nones it benefits from some shade during the hottest part of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rhubarb can deal with a long period of hot\ndry weather by going dormant, though of course this doesn\u2019t do anything\nfor its productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Rhubarb<\/strong>  
Perennial
Hardiness zones: 2 – 9
Growing temp: 50 (55-75) 80\u00b0F
Plants per person: 2
Plants per sq ft: 1 plant needs 4 sq ft
Yield per plant: 1 – 6 lb
Yield per sq ft: \u00bc – 1 \u00bd lb
Height: 36\u02dd
Width: 48\u02dd  
<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Soil<\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

pH 5.0 to 6.8<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rhubarb is a heavy feeder and prefers a deep, rich, moisture\nretentive soil with lots of organic matter. It needs to be well-drained,\notherwise the roots may rot over the winter (raised beds help in this).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil preparation<\/strong>: Rhubarb is a perennial and will be in the ground for a long time, so\nyou should incorporate lots of organic matter into the soil before planting.\nYou might even double dig to get some of that organic matter down deep. You\ncould also add some organic fertilizer mix to supply additional nutrients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planning<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where<\/strong>: Rhubarb is in the ground for a long time, so choose a site where\nit won\u2019t be disturbed. It should be well away from shrubs or trees, whose roots\nmight take nutrients away from it. If the soil is not well-drained, you should grow it on a raised bed. Don\u2019t use a raised bed in\na warm dry climate though, as it will dry out too quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I grow rhubarb in a far from\nideal climate with hot dry summers and mild wet winters, and it still does\nsurprisingly well. In this climate it does best with light shade, as the large\nleaves can lose a lot of water on a hot day. It also benefits from a cooler\nmicroclimate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: Rhubarb can be planted any time the roots are dormant, from late\nautumn to spring. Of course pot grown plants can be planted at any time.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing from crowns<\/strong>: Rhubarb is usually grown from\ncrowns, which are pieces of root with growing buds attached. The usual method\nof planting is to dig a large hole (three times the size of the plant) and\nheavily amend it with compost or aged manure and some fertilizer mix. The\ncrowns are then planted so the bud is a couple of inches below the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing from seed<\/strong>: Rhubarb isn\u2019t often grown from seed, but this is easy to do. It\ngerminates readily and the seedlings grow rapidly (in the tropics it has\nactually been grown as an annual!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are several potential problems with growing rhubarb from seed. One is that the plants take several\nyears to reach useful size. Another is that it doesn\u2019t come true to seed, so\nthe seedlings will be quite variable, with some being inferior to their\nparents. Usually you select the best seedlings and propagate them vegetatively,\nwhile discarding the inferior ones (sow a lot of seed so you have plenty to\nchoose from). You could even argue that the genetic variability is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sow the seed 1\u02dd apart in a flat in a greenhouse, or in a cold\nframe (plant extra so you can choose the best plants for growing on). The\nseedlings grow quite quickly and will need to be pricked out when they have 3 –\n5 leaves. When they are large enough, plant them outdoors in a nursery bed, taking\ncare to water regularly during their first year. Plant out the best plants in\ntheir permanent positions\nthe following spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spacing<\/strong>: Rhubarb can get quite big and likes to have plenty of room so\ndon\u2019t crowd it. Overcrowded plants are more likely to have disease problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beds<\/strong>: Plant the crowns 24 – 36\u02dd apart in each direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rows<\/strong>: Space the plants 24 – 36\u02dd apart, in rows 36 – 48\u02dd apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Care<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rhubarb is a tough and independent plant and\ncan survive with relatively little care, however it will be more productive if\nyou give it a little TLC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weeds<\/strong>: Remove all perennial weeds from the bed before planting (this is\none of the benefits of double digging). A mulch will take care of any annual weeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watering<\/strong>: Rhubarb is a cool weather plant with large leaves and requires\nquite a lot of moisture. In dry climates it will need regular watering to keep\nit productive. If it doesn\u2019t get enough water in hot weather the large leaves\nwill wilt during the day and may even die back. If this occurs too often the\nplants may simply go dormant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fertilizing<\/strong>: Rhubarb is a heavy feeder, however an annual application of aged\nmanure or compost (as mulch) should supply all the necessary nutrients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mulch<\/strong>: Apply a 2 – 3\u02dd layer of compost or aged manure annually. This\nkeeps down weeds, conserves moisture and feeds the soil (which then feeds the plants). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winter protection: <\/strong>In very cold climates a thick mulch of leaves or straw can be\nuseful to protect the plants\nover the winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deadheading<\/strong>: Any flower stalks that appear should be\nremoved promptly to stop the plant devoting energy to seed production. Remove the whole\nflower stalk, not just the flowering top (otherwise it will keep trying to\nflower). Never let it\nproduce seed as this would waste even more energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thinning<\/strong>: Rhubarb is a long lived plant when growing\nin ideal conditions, but after a few years it can start to get crowded (the\nstalks will be smaller in size and may be affected by pests or disease). To\navoid this the plants should be thinned every 3 – 5 years, by dividing them and\nremoving excess crowns (you can replant, give away or sell these). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Divide each root to leave at least one (and\npreferably 2 – 4) bud on each piece. Replant these so the top of the bud is covered with 2\u02dd of\nsoil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forcing\noutdoors<\/strong>: In northern\nEurope it was once a common practice to force rhubarb. This would give an early\ncrop, up to 6 weeks before the unprotected plants. This was done by covering\nthe crown (it stayed in the ground) with a bottomless bucket (the lid was left\non). Leaves, manure or soil was piled around the bucket to insulate it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The resulting shoots were pale pink and extra succulent from being\ndeprived of light. After the harvest, the bucket was removed, a layer of mulch\nwas applied and the plants were left to continue growing as normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can hasten spring growth by covering the\nplants with clear plastic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problems<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pests<\/strong>: Obviously any time you have a problem with a perennial plant it\nis more serious than with an annual. Rhubarb is relatively pest free, but you\nmay occasionally have problems with Japanese beetles, or leafhoppers.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My biggest problem has been with gophers. These rodents will\ncompletely destroy a plant, which is a problem in a plant that takes several\nyears to grow. If you live in gopher country you should plant rhubarb in wire baskets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diseases<\/strong>: Potential disease problems include anthracnose, crown rot, foot\nrot, leaf spot and verticillium\nwilt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harvesting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: Don\u2019t harvest any stalks in the first year after planting and\nonly a few in the following year. This gives the plant time to grow as big as\npossible, so it produces large, succulent stems. In the third year you can start harvesting regularly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You harvest the stems after they have reached full size and the leaves have opened fully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How<\/strong>: Harvest by twisting the stalk, so it separates from the root.\nYou then remove the leaf otherwise it will draw moisture out of the stalk and\nit will quickly go floppy. You have two options in harvesting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can either harvest all of the stems on a plant at the same\ntime (and then leave it for a long period to recover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alternatively you can take 3 – 4 stems from each plant (never\ntaking more than half of the stems from a plant at one time). In this way you\ncan harvest fairly regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people harvest intensively for about two months in spring and\nthen leave the plants alone so they can build up reserves of food. This makes sense, as real fruit\nbecomes available later anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storage<\/strong>: The stalks will keep for a week or so in a plastic bag in the\nfridge. They can be kept fresh by keeping them upright in a jar of water. For\nlonger term storage they can be chopped and frozen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seed saving<\/strong>: Rhubarb produces seed readily if you allow it to; in fact the\nusual problem is stopping it. It doesn\u2019t often self-sow, but doesn\u2019t need to\nbecause it is a long lived\nperennial. The wind pollinated flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and\nfemale parts).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unusual growing ideas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ornamental<\/strong>: Rhubarb has a strong bold shape and can be useful as an\nornamental (though picking the stalks won\u2019t help its appearance).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wild garden: <\/strong>Rhubarb is a good plant for the wild or forest garden because it\ntolerates light shade (though in cooler climates\nit will do best in sunny clearings). It is a very independent plant and often\nsurvives in abandoned gardens for years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Containers<\/strong>: Rhubarb can do well in containers, though you have to give it a\nlarge one and plenty of water and nutrients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protection<\/strong>: You can speed up the growth of rhubarb in spring by covering the\nbed with a cloche.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Varieties<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rhubarb isn\u2019t a hugely popular crop, so there aren\u2019t that many.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glaskins\nPerpetual <\/strong>– English\nheirloom, easily grown from seed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crimson\nRed –<\/strong> Prized for\nits fine flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Victoria\n<\/strong>– Another classic\nvariety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kitchen use<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rhubarb is\nsomething of an acquired taste and you either like it or you don\u2019t. It can be\nvery sour and needs a lot of sugar to make it palatable. It is often combined\nwith strawberries to make\npie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rhubarb crisp<\/strong>  
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oats
1 cup sugar
\u00bd cup butter
4 cups chopped rhubarb
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup water  

Combine the flour, oats, \u00bd a cup of sugar and melted butter in a bowl and mix well. In another bowl mix another cup sugar with the cornstarch, add a cup of water and stir until smooth. Pour this mix over the chopped rhubarb and then cover with the flour and oat mix. Bake for 40 minutes at 350\u00b0F, until the top is golden brown and the rhubarb is tender. Eat warm, with whipped cream or ice cream.
  <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Introduction: Rhubarb was first grown in gardens for medicinal purposes, but later began to be eaten as a food. It eventually became popular in the cooler areas of northern Europe … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2385,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[244],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bulb-and-stem-vegetables","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Rhubarb-2.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2334","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2334"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2334\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2386,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2334\/revisions\/2386"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2385"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}