| All rhubarb varieties have a deep root system and | | | | plant to conserve water and suppress weeds. Always |
| prefer to grow in free draining, fertile soil, and in partial | | | | dead-head the flowers immediately after they appear |
| shade. | | | | in the early spring, as these will weaken the plant. |
| Before planting your rhubarb dig over the soil and | | | | Dividing |
| remove any stones you find, also add as much | | | | To keep your rhubarb plants healthy, they should be |
| organic matter as possible. Rhubarb are a hungry plant. | | | | divided every five or six years during winter, when |
| How to plant | | | | they are dormant. It's usually possible to split the plant |
| It's possible to grow rhubarb from seed or as a plant | | | | into three or four separate crowns with a spade. You |
| bought from a local garden centre. If you grow your | | | | have to make sure that each crown has an 'eye', or a |
| rhubarb from seed it will take a year longer to produce | | | | large bud - as this is the following year's shoot. |
| stalks to eat, but the plants aren't always guaranteed | | | | It's best to let your rhubarb establish for the first year |
| to be a true type of rhubarb. Therefore it's | | | | before picking any rhubarb. The following year you can |
| recommended to buy a one-year-old plant, also known | | | | start to pull some of the largest stalks, picking starts |
| as a 'crown', this way you are sure to get a plant | | | | from May to August. |
| that's strong and disease-free. | | | | Stalks are picked by a gently twist and pull from the |
| Choose a variety that is right for your size of garden. | | | | base of the plant. Don't eat the leaves as they contain |
| Plant your rhubarb in late autumn to early winter. Dig a | | | | oxalic acid and are poisonous. |
| hole a little wider than the plant. The depth should be | | | | Growing tips |
| that the top of the plant is at, or just below the soil | | | | Rhubarb doesn't suffer from many diseases. But |
| surface. Place the rhubarb plant in the hole and firm | | | | crown rot is the main threat, especially if soil conditions |
| the soil around and water well. | | | | are wet. The fungal infection happens at the base of |
| Spacing between rhubarb plants should be about | | | | the crown and turns brown and soft. |
| 75cm (30in) for smaller varieties, and up to 120cm | | | | The plants suffering from crown rot should be dug up |
| (48in) for larger varieties. | | | | and thrown away immediately. You can avoid crown |
| After the leaves have died down you can spread a | | | | rot if you plant rhubarb in fertile, well-drained, |
| new layer of compost or old horse manure around the | | | | weed-free soil. |