Choosing Rhubarb Varieties For Your Garden

Rhubarb thrives best when planted in loose, rich soil that drains well, with complete garden fertilizers applied prior to growth beginning each spring.

Mulches help conserve moisture and control weeds in northern gardens, where perennial rhubarb plants are often harvested from late spring through summer.

For optimal results and to avoid crown rot, harvest no more than half of a clump at one time. If flower stems form, remove them.

Green

Rhubarb requires well-drained soil with an abundance of organic matter, along with the addition of mulch to regulate temperature and moisture, while helping prevent weeds. Rhubarb must then be regularly fertilized using compost as its fertilizer source between fall and spring for best results.

Rhubarb plants should be divided every four or five years to keep them vigorous. When their crowns start overlapping too closely with one another, dividing is necessary to promote continued health.

Green rhubarb varieties provide stems with strong flavors and low levels of oxalic acid (which can have an unpleasant bitter flavor). Popular examples are Timperley Early, Victoriaa, Stockbridge Arrow and Stockbridge Arrow which all produce stems with long yields that may be green or red in hue.

Red

Rhubarb plants are perennial, and harvest can occur between spring and summer. Rhubarb has an extremely tart taste that requires lots of added sugar for flavoring purposes; every time one stalk is pulled from an established plant it drains its food reserves and reduces yield; therefore it’s wise to harvest only a few stalks annually from each established plant to preserve yield and ensure maximum efficiency.

Plants can suffer from root rot in damp soil, so amending their planting site with plenty of organic matter and well-rotted manure is crucial. Furthermore, applying mulch helps control weeds while keeping the ground moist; to further avoid fungal root rot, protecting young and variable weather rhubarb plants during very cold nights should also be encouraged so they focus their energy into producing roots and stalks rather than blooms stems.

Speckled

Many varieties of rhubarb feature green stalks with pink to red speckles, making for less sweet but often more productive harvests than pure green varieties. Examples of such varieties are Victoria which boasts dark raspberry red interior leaves as well as outside stems; Canada Red boasts richly hued red stems while MacDonald produces long slender pink stalks; other types include Riverside Giant and German Wine which both boast darker pink speckling on green stems.

When selecting varieties, look for those with firm, crisp stalks. Soft textures may transfer oxalic acid from its leaves onto the stalk and turn it bitter; harvest sparingly during the first year to promote plant vigor before increasing harvest levels each spring.

Early

Rhubarb plants are perennials that thrive best in cooler environments, preferring rich soil with plenty of organic matter for optimal development. Mulching with straw or compost helps conserve soil moisture and keep weeds at bay.

As part of your initial harvest strategy for optimal plant development in years 1 and 2, limit harvests lightly so as not to restrict vigorous stem growth. Flower stalks drain reserves necessary for vegetative development and should therefore be removed as soon as they appear.

Popular varieties that thrive in USDA hardiness zones 4–7 include MacDonald, Crimson Red, Victoria and Canada Red (all red), Cawood Delight and Glaskin’s Perpetual (green with pink to red speckles), Valentine (red). Ornamental Rhubarb (Rheum palmatum) adds visual interest while not producing edible stalks.

Late

Rhubarb is easy to grow, preferring rich well-draining soil with high organic content and preferring light shade. A vigorous plant that will produce several crops per season if left alone for some time.

Early varieties begin harvesting early spring while maincrop rhubarb can be harvested beginning in May and can even be forced. Many varieties also lend themselves to being forced.

At first sight, it may be tempting to leave any flower stalks from rhubarb plants standing, as their blooms contain toxic oxalic acid that is dangerous enough to cause mouth ulcers or even death in extreme cases. Unfortunately, this poisonous element travels through decayed petioles (leaves). To combat this potential hazard and protect surrounding leaves with mulch such as compost, shredded bark or weed-free hay as a barrier against exposure.