Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum)
4 sources cited · Verified
Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) — perennial.
Unlike an annual crop, the work here is front-loaded into establishment: get the planting and the site right and the same plants crop for several seasons.
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural and university-extension sources — see References.
Soil & Growing Conditions
Water: RHS: newly planted rhubarb needs regular watering during dry spells; established plants need water only during prolonged dry periods, and container plants must never be waterlogged. Utah State: for the first 2-3 years "irrigate one to two times weekly so water penetrates to the bottom of the root-ball (usually 6 inches to a foot deep)", then from year 3 "once every 1 to 2 weeks" with water reaching "12 to 18 inches deep".
Growth Stages
| Stage | BBCH | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Planting the crown | 0 | Plant so the crown tip -- where the leaves emerge -- sits just above the soil surface, spaced 75-90cm apart to allow for how much the clump will expand. RHS. |
| Establishment (little or no harvest) | 3 | No stems should be harvested in the first year after planting, and only a few in the second, to let the plant establish; normal harvesting begins in the third year. RHS. |
| Cropping season | 5 | Most varieties are harvested from April or May. Always twist stalks gently to ease them out of the ground rather than cutting, which leaves a stump prone to rotting. Forcing a plant under a jar in midwinter, excluding light, gives earlier, paler, sweeter stalks in about five weeks. RHS. |
| Recovery & division | 9 | Stop harvesting by late June or early July to let the plant rebuild its strength for next year. Mature clumps benefit from being divided every five years or so. RHS. |
Quick Facts
| Factor | Value |
|---|---|
| Soil texture | RHS: "fertile, moisture-retentive soil that doesn't get waterlogged". |
| Drainage | RHS: moisture-retentive but not waterlogged; an "open, sunny site", though rhubarb "will also cope in light shade". |
| Lifecycle | perennial |
| Edible parts | leaf stalks (petioles) |
At a Glance
Harvest & Storage
When to pick: Rhubarb is a long-lived perennial, so readiness is measured in years and stalk length rather than days from sowing -- days_to_harvest is therefore null. RHS: pull a "young stalk about 30cm (1ft) long, with a leaf that has only just fully opened", taking no stems in the first year, "only a few" in the second, and harvesting normally from the third. Utah State: "Stalks are ready for harvest when the petiole is 10 to 15 inches long", with no harvest "for 2 years after planting" and 3 to 4 weeks of harvest in the third year.
Storage
RHS: rhubarb is "best used fresh, but can be frozen or stored in the fridge for a couple of weeks". Utah State: "Fresh stalks can be refrigerated for 2 to 4 weeks in plastics sacks". RHS forcing: cover in "mid-winter" for "four to eight weeks" of growth.
Diseases
Pests
Rhubarb, Crown to Clump
References
-
country=International
-
country=UK
-
country=UK
-
country=USA
4 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.
Frequently Asked Questions
What problems affect rhubarb?
Our data links 1 disease and 2 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.
Plan next season before the problems start
Short-season growing is arithmetic before it is technique: days to maturity against frost-free days decides what will finish at all. The Canada Garden Planner does that subtraction for your region before you sow.
Get the Canada Garden Planner →Instant PDF download · Written for Canadian growing conditions
Vegetable Growing Guides Canada
Last verified 2026-08-06
Where To Go From Here
Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.
Plan the next step
Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.