Rheum x cultorum
Family: Polygonaceae

Rhubarb is very simple to grow and absolutely delicious. Cultivated for its large, thick, red or green leaf stalk (the leaf is highly poisonous), rhubarb is cooked and used for pies and cakes, or simply eaten with cream. It is sometimes cooked with apples. Although known for many centuries, and probably a native of northern Asia, it was originally used only for medicinal purposes.

Varieties

There are many cultivars of rhubarb, so buy whatever is available in your area. Popular cultivars include red-stalked 'Cherry', 'Macdonald' and 'Strawberry', and green-stalked 'Victoria'. Four to six plants are usually sufficient for a home garden.

Cultivation

Rhubarb likes climates with warm to cool, moist summers. Any well-drained garden soil will do, providing it contains plenty of animal manure. Rhubarb is best in full sun and must have frequent, deep watering. As the plants will remain in the soil for some years, their bed should be well prepared in advance by digging in plenty of manure. Rhubarb is purchased as pot-grown plants from garden centers. These are usually available for planting in winter or spring. As rhubarb is a gross feeder, it requires regular applications of liquid or granular, complete fertilizer, mulching and stringent weed control. Whenever a flowering head appears, cut it off. Harvest very few leaf stalks during the first year, but more can be taken in the second year as new growth appears from the crown. To harvest, pull the stalk with a jerking movement away at an angle; never cut it. Many gardeners place a 40-60 cm (16-24 in) high tin, plastic or timber pen around their plants to encourage longer stems and smaller leaves. When plants reach three or four years old, the crowns tend to become woody and growth becomes crowded and less vigorous. At this stage, it is best to lift the plants, divide the roots so that each piece has one healthy bud (or 'eye'), and replant pieces about 1 m (3 ft) apart in a newly prepared location. In mild climates, lifting can be done in early winter; in colder regions, early spring is best.

Climate

Rhubarb is very hardy and should survive in zone 3.