Gardening: Monty Don advises on how to harvest rhubarb
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Rhubarb is a great investment for the garden, with most healthy plants remaining productive for at least 10 years. This sweet yet sour crop is best planted from crowns or budded pieces, and now is the perfect time to try growing some yourself. Express.co.uk reveals the best method for planting rhubarb at home and how to raise the perfect summer crop.
Rhubarb is loved for its unique tang, offering a mixture of sweet and sour in every bite.
While this long-stemmed vegetable is readily available to buy throughout the spring and summer, it can taste even better when picked from your own garden.
Planting rhubarb is easy to do using established crowns, and it can be done right the way through April and May.
It can be planted in just a few simple steps, but it’s crucial that you choose a permanent position for the plant to grow uninterrupted.
How to plant rhubarb
While rhubarb is easy to grow, there are a few key elements to consider while choosing the best position for your crop to thrive.
According to Gardeners’ World, the preferred growing conditions for rhubarb include:
- Fertile, free draining soil
- A spacious, open site – raised or ground beds work better than containers
- Sunny with partial shade
Before planting your rhubarb crowns, it is important to take time to prepare the soil.
Start by thoroughly weeding the area to clear unwanted growth and make space for fresh organic matter.
Dig in two bucketfuls of well-rotted manure per square metre of soil to enrich the planting site.
Once the succulent soil has been prepared, it’s time to dig the holes for the leafy rhubarb plant to grow.
Dig a small hole in soil, just large enough to cup the rooted crown.
You should spread the roots out and position so that the visible buds are facing upwards.
The tip of the crown should be visible above the ground, set in around one inch below the soil level.
If you’re gardening in heavy, wet soil, it is important to plant them slightly higher so that the top of the crown sits at ground level.
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How to space rhubarb crowns
If you’re planting several crowns in a bed, you should allow plenty of space for the plants to flourish.
The leafy green foliage can reach a sizeable width, so it is crucial that you allow at least 30 inches between each rhubarb plant.
For pot-grown rhubarb, the Royal Horticultural Society recommended planting the crown in “very large pots” – at least 20 inches deep and wide.
Positioning these small cuttings correctly will secure a high yield crop with plenty of rhubarb ready to be picked the following year.
How to care for rhubarb
Newly planted rhubarb should not be harvested in the first year.
According to the RHS, it is crucial to leave the stems to grow in order to preserve the plant’s vigour and maximise the harvest.
Rhubarb stems can be picked from the following year, though the leaves should never be eaten as they are toxic to humans and most pets.
To care for your growing rhubarb crop, you should:
- Water the plant during prolonged dry periods in summer
- Mulch with well-rotted garden compost around 2.5 inches deep around the plant
- Allow foliage to die back naturally in autumn
- Remove flower stalks as soon as they appear to keep the plant strong
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