05/18/2019 / By Mary Miller
Growing your own edible garden is a great way to supplement your food supply. If you are a beginner gardener, you can start simple with easy-to-grow vegetables, such as rhubarb. Here’s what you need to know to grow rhubarb in your very own backyard. (h/t to CommonSenseHome.com)
Rhubarb needs the right season and location to grow properly. Before planting anything, you should first select an area that has fertile, well-drained soil. If the soil does not drain well, you can use raised beds or large containers to keep the roots of your rhubarb from becoming waterlogged. Ideally, you should also pick a spot that gets at least five hours of daylight exposure. Eliminate any perennial weeds in the area. Since rhubarb is classified as a cool season perennial, the best times to plant your rhubarb is during the seasons of early spring and fall. For beginner gardeners, it is recommended to start with year-old rhubarb crowns, since the seeds will take a very long time to grow before they are ready to be harvested. Once the season is right and you have selected your planting area, then you are ready to plant your rhubarb. (Related: Plant These 10 Perennial Fruits and Vegetables for Years of Delicious Harvests.)
One of the biggest concerns when growing rhubarb is keeping your planting area weed-free. As long as your rhubarb do not compete with any weeds, they should remain protected from pests and diseases.
When harvesting your rhubarb plants, remember that only the stalks are edible, since the leaves are poisonous. Moreover, your plants should not be harvested during the first growing season. Instead, they should be harvested after they are around three years old, once they have become established. You’ll know the stalks are ready once they have grown 12 to 18 inches long and are not too thin.
Your delicious rhubarb stalks can then be made into rhubarb pies, jams, pudding cakes, and other recipes.
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