Q&A for How to Grow Rhubarb

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My plants for the last few years only come up with very thin stalks. I pull off the seed stalks but nothing helps. What can I do?

Andrew Carberry, MPH
Food Systems Expert
Andrew Carberry is a Food Systems Expert and the Senior Program Associate at the Wallace Center at Winrock International in Little Rock, Arkansas. He has worked in food systems since 2008 and has experience working on farm-to-school projects, food safety programs, and working with local and state coalitions in Arkansas. He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and holds a Masters degree in public health and nutrition from the University of Tennessee.

Andrew Carberry, MPH

Food Systems Expert

Expert Answer

Check to see if you are providing optimal growth conditions. Does the temperature, sunlight, watering and drainage, and soil profile meet the needs of rhubarb outlined above?

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Question

Can you cover the plants with manure each fall to add nutrients? Is this safe?

Andrew Carberry, MPH
Food Systems Expert
Andrew Carberry is a Food Systems Expert and the Senior Program Associate at the Wallace Center at Winrock International in Little Rock, Arkansas. He has worked in food systems since 2008 and has experience working on farm-to-school projects, food safety programs, and working with local and state coalitions in Arkansas. He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and holds a Masters degree in public health and nutrition from the University of Tennessee.

Andrew Carberry, MPH

Food Systems Expert

Expert Answer

Yes, some growers mulch their plants with composted manure each fall to prepare them for next year.

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Question

How do I keep the stalks a good red color?

Community Answer

Take wood ashes and put them around the rhubarb plants. The large leaves tend to fall and make the soil too acidic, but putting wood ashes down corrects this. The stalks will turn a beautiful crimson the next spring.

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Question

What do I do about the large flowers on my second year of growth?

Community Answer

Since rhubarb is mainly grown for its tart stems, you can cut or break off the flowers atop the plant(s). I do this for my dad every year and it helps the plant save its energy to put into its stems and leaves.

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Question

My rhubarb is flowering. What should I do?

Community Answer

If your rhubarb is flowering, you have two options. You can let it flower and you will probably get rhubarb growing all over your lawn, or you can cut off the flowers and that rhubarb will continue to grow.

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Question

Should I cut off the white blooms?

Community Answer

, Cut them off if you don't want it going to seed, since the blooms are a sign of this.

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Question

How can I increase the growth of my rhubarb when it has only grown to about four inches tall in its second year?

Community Answer

You can 'force' established rhubarb plants by placing a covering over the crown of the plant, preventing sunlight from reaching the stalks and leaves. You could use a large garden pot or a special rhubarb forcer. After eight weeks they should be ready to harvest.

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Question

Should I cut my rhubarb back before mulching for the winter?

Joseph_85

Top Answerer

Bringing a container, cutting the stalks you want and leaving the leaves to decay works fine without any other hassle. Also, pulling unwanted stalks and doing the same until frost.

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Question

Can I plant rhubarb in a pot?

Community Answer

Yes you can but make the pot is at least 4 times the size of the crown and leaves, otherwise it will become pot-bound and prone to drying out. It will need plenty of water.

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Question

What is wrong with my rhubarb if the leaves are turning yellow and dying?

Community Answer

It could be overwatering or bugs. You could try revealing or lifting the crown to check, looking at the soil around it too. I have clay soil and keep my plant in a fair sized pot, the compost mixed with a little grit to keep it drained and later topped up to keep it fed.

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