How to Grow Rhubarb
Rheum rhabarbarum
Rhubarb is a long-lived perennial for full sun and deep, fertile, moisture-retentive soil. Plant dormant crowns in late winter/early spring with the bud just at soil level; water to establish and mulch annually. Do not harvest in the first year; take light pulls in year two, then full picks thereafter. Keep flower stalks removed to focus energy on stems. In late winter, crowns can be forced under a pot or rhubarb forcer for early, tender pink stems. Leaves are toxic—discard them, and harvest by pulling stalks cleanly from the crown.
Yearly Lifecycle
Care Essentials
Mulch heavily with well-rotted manure in late winter. No additional feeding usually needed.
Watch For
- Crown rot
- Honey fungus
- Slugs on young shoots
Companions
Garlic, Onions, Beans
Track your Rhubarb care schedule — pruning, feeding, and seasonal tasks
Start planning freeCare Requirements
☀️ Light
Full sun to part shade for best stalks
Full sun to partial shade. Tolerates some shade but stalks are thinner and less colourful. Avoid very hot, dry positions.
💧 Watering
Water in dry spells, avoid waterlogging crown
Water well during dry spells, especially in spring and early summer during the harvest period. Avoid waterlogging the crown.
🌱 Fertilizing
Heavy manure mulch in late winter
Mulch heavily with well-rotted manure or compost in late winter. No additional feeding is usually needed on fertile soil.
✂️ Pruning
Remove flower stalks promptly, tidy in autumn
Remove flower stalks as soon as they appear to direct energy into stalk production. Cut back dead foliage in autumn.
🍎 Harvesting
Pull stalks April to June, then let plant recover
Pull stalks from April to late June — grip near the base and twist. Do not cut. Stop harvesting by late June to let the plant recover for next year.
🍂 Mulching
Thick manure mulch in late winter, off the crown
Apply a thick layer of well-rotted manure or compost in late winter, keeping it off the crown to prevent rot.
Growing Tips
Start with strong crowns
Choose chunky divisions and plant with the growing point at soil level in enriched ground.
No harvest year one
Let plants build reserves; begin with a few stems in year two for longevity.
Remove flower stalks
Cut out any blooms as they appear to keep stems thick and juicy.
Mulch matters
Top-dress with compost or well-rotted manure each spring to fuel growth and hold moisture.
Pests & Diseases
Pest Slugs and Snails
Identification: Irregular holes and ragged edges on young shoots and developing leaves. Slime trails around the crown.
- Apply organic slug pellets (ferric phosphate) around crowns as shoots emerge
- Use copper tape barriers around forcing pots
- Encourage hedgehogs, frogs, and ground beetles
- Ferric phosphate pellets (approved for organic use)
Pest Aphids
Identification: Clusters of green or pink aphids on leaf undersides. Sticky honeydew. Leaves may curl slightly.
- Encourage ladybirds, lacewings, and hoverflies
- Spray with insecticidal soap
- Blast off with a strong jet of water
- Spray with a pyrethrin-based insecticide if heavy infestations persist
Disease Crown Rot Phytophthora spp. / Erwinia spp.
Symptoms: Stalks become soft and collapse at the base. The crown turns brown and mushy. A foul smell may develop. The whole plant can die.
Treatment: Dig up and destroy affected plants. Do not replant rhubarb in the same spot for several years.
Prevention: Plant in well-drained soil. Avoid burying the crown too deep. Do not pile mulch over the crown. Avoid overwatering.
Disease Honey Fungus Armillaria mellea
Symptoms: Sudden wilting and death. White fungal sheets under the bark at the base of the crown. Honey-coloured toadstools nearby in autumn.
Treatment: Dig up and destroy affected plants including all roots. Replace soil before replanting.
Prevention: Maintain plant vigour. No chemical prevention available. Physical root barriers can slow spread.
Disease Downy Mildew Peronospora spp.
Symptoms: Yellow patches on upper leaf surfaces with a greyish-purple fuzzy growth on the undersides. Leaves may wilt and die.
Treatment: Remove and destroy affected leaves. Improve air circulation around the plant.
Prevention: Avoid overhead watering. Ensure good spacing. Remove old foliage in autumn.
Popular Varieties
Victoria, Timperley Early
Spacing & Planting
| Plant spacing | 100 cm |
| Row spacing | 120 cm |
| Mature height | 80 cm |
| Mature spread | 100 cm |
Long-lived crowns; stop harvesting by late July to let crowns recover.
Log Rhubarb in your garden — track growth, care, and harvests year after year
Start planning free