How to Grow Rhubarb UK
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In the UK, rhubarb is sown early November to late March, and planted out early November to late March.
Timing is the decision that matters most in the UK: planting out early November, and that same window applies across all 4 regions covered here.
The short answer
- Sow
- Early November to late March
- Plant out
- Early November to late March
- Biggest risk
- Downy mildew
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.
Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum)
4 sources cited · Verified
Regional Planting Calendar
| Region | Sow | Plant out |
|---|---|---|
| Southern England derived | early November to late March | early November to late March |
| Midlands derived | early November to late March | early November to late March |
| Northern England derived | early November to late March | early November to late March |
| Scotland derived | early November to late March | early November to late March |
Rows marked derived are interpolated between regions our sources do state, because no source we consulted gives a figure for that region specifically. They are deliberately wider to reflect that uncertainty.
Southern England - detail & sources
UK-wide baseline (not yet region-differentiated): Plant bare-root crowns in dormancy (Nov–Mar); no harvest in year one; main harvest Apr–early Jul (forced rhubarb earlier); stop pulling by July.
Midlands - detail & sources
UK-wide baseline (not yet region-differentiated): Plant bare-root crowns in dormancy (Nov–Mar); no harvest in year one; main harvest Apr–early Jul (forced rhubarb earlier); stop pulling by July.
Northern England - detail & sources
UK-wide baseline (not yet region-differentiated): Plant bare-root crowns in dormancy (Nov–Mar); no harvest in year one; main harvest Apr–early Jul (forced rhubarb earlier); stop pulling by July.
Scotland - detail & sources
UK-wide baseline (not yet region-differentiated): Plant bare-root crowns in dormancy (Nov–Mar); no harvest in year one; main harvest Apr–early Jul (forced rhubarb earlier); stop pulling by July.
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
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. |
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
Plan your Rhubarb planting
When to sow and plant Rhubarb depends on your own frost dates. Check the UK vegetable planting calendar, or the month-by-month guides that cover Rhubarb: January, February, March, April, May, June, November. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.
Growing Rhubarb in another region
Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.
References
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
When should I plant rhubarb out in the UK?
In Southern England, from early November. In Scotland, wait until early November. Treat these as a guide rather than a fixed date — the governing rule is to plant out only once frost risk has passed and temperatures are reliably warm enough.
When do I sow rhubarb?
Sow early November to late March.
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
Most of the advice on this page comes down to timing and spacing — sowing at the right moment, rotating beds, and giving plants enough airflow. The UK Garden Planner lays your plot out month by month so those decisions are already made before the season starts.
Get the UK Garden Planner →Instant PDF download · Written for UK growing conditions
How this guide is put together
The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against RHS and Met Office guidance. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.
Related Problem Guides
Last verified 2026-08-06
Where To Go From Here
Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.
Keep going
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.