4
hubarb is one of the popular early perennial vegetable crops. It is a brightly col- ored, highly flavored vegetable that is low in calories and high in vitamin C and calcium. You can grow rhubarb in your home garden or as a farm crop for market. You also may place rhubarb roots in a heated shed and “force” them to get the long, tender stalks for winter and early spring use. Hothouse rhubarb is in season January to March; field rhubarb April to June. Rhubarb originally came from China and Russia, where the fleshy roots were used medicinally. It was introduced into Europe about 1608 and became a common vegetable in America early in the 18th century. Washington and Oregon currently are among the largest producing areas. The underground portion of rhubarb is composed of a large, woody rhizome with fibrous roots. The edible portion of this plant is the stalk, which grows from buds found on the crown near the surface of the soil. With good care, the stalks of most varieties grow to a large diameter and length in a rather short time. Leaves of the rhubarb plant are inedible, due to a high concentra- tion of oxalic acid and soluble salts. EC 797/Reprinted May 2003 $1.00 RHUBARB J. PARSONS, N.S. MANSOUR, and J.R. BAGGETT Rhubarb is quite hardy; the leaves withstand temperatures as low as 35°F without damage. The woody rhizome and crown will stay in frozen or very cold, dry soil for months without any damage from cold or desiccation. Rhubarb sells better and brings higher prices in the early spring months when there is less fresh produce on the market. The low temperatures of spring aid the development of the pink pigment so desirable in this crop. High temperatures result in green petioles, which are less desirable. Propagation Seed stalks occasionally grow from rhubarb crowns. Some variet- ies form seed stalks yearly while others seldom produce them. Growers usually cut seed stalks off as they appear. The seed is used mainly by plant breeders, since the plant is cross-pollinated and seedlings seldom resemble the parent strain. When allowed to develop, the seed stalks grow several feet high and are covered with white flowers. The seed matures by the first of July. Propagation from seed is not recommended, due to possible variations in type resulting in poor quality. Vegetative propagation by division of the crowns is the common and best method of rhubarb propagation. Large vegeta- tive buds are found on the upper portion of the crowns; you can cut each crown into several divisions, with a large bud on each piece. Divide the crowns when the plants are dormant. Five- or 6-year-old crowns should yield 8 to 10 good- quality pieces. Plant the pieces as soon after division as possible, but you may store them under dry, cool conditions for a few weeks. The number of years you may harvest a rhubarb planting depends on a number of factors, but usually productivity declines after 5 or 6 years, and it is then time to replant. An older, unproductive rhubarb field often may be rejuvenated by plowing or cutting a section with buds from each side of the crown. This keeps the planting young and allows crowns to continue growing for several more years. A planting may be kept productive this way for 15 to 20 years. Jack Parsons, Extension agent emeritus; N.S. Mansour, Extension vegetable crops specialist emeritus; and J.R. Baggett, professor of horticulture emeritus; Oregon State University. R

(Gardening) Grow Your Own Rhubarb

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  • rhubarb is composed of a large,woody rhizome with fibrous roots.

    EC 797/Reprinted May 2003 $1.00

    R

    sells better and brings higher prices

    mainly by plant breeders, since theplant is cross-pollinated and

    buds from each side of the crown.This keeps the planting young andThe edible portion of this plant isthe stalk, which grows from budsfound on the crown near thesurface of the soil. With good care,the stalks of most varieties grow toa large diameter and length in arather short time.

    Leaves of the rhubarb plant areinedible, due to a high concentra-tion of oxalic acid and soluble salts.

    seedlings seldom resemble theparent strain. When allowed todevelop, the seed stalks growseveral feet high and are coveredwith white flowers. The seedmatures by the first of July.

    Propagation from seed is notrecommended, due to possiblevariations in type resulting in poorquality.

    allows crowns to continue growingfor several more years. A plantingmay be kept productive this wayfor 15 to 20 years.

    Jack Parsons, Extension agent emeritus;N.S. Mansour, Extension vegetablecrops specialist emeritus; andJ.R. Baggett, professor of horticultureemeritus; Oregon State University.hubarb is one of the popularearly perennial vegetablecrops. It is a brightly col-

    ored, highly flavored vegetable thatis low in calories and high invitamin C and calcium. You cangrow rhubarb in your home gardenor as a farm crop for market. Youalso may place rhubarb roots in aheated shed and force them to getthe long, tender stalks for winterand early spring use. Hothouserhubarb is in season January toMarch; field rhubarb April to June.

    Rhubarb originally came fromChina and Russia, where the fleshyroots were used medicinally. It wasintroduced into Europe about 1608and became a common vegetable inAmerica early in the 18th century.Washington and Oregon currentlyare among the largest producingareas.

    The underground portion of

    Rin the early spring months whenthere is less fresh produce on themarket. The low temperatures ofspring aid the development of thepink pigment so desirable in thiscrop. High temperatures result ingreen petioles, which are lessdesirable.

    PropagationSeed stalks occasionally grow

    from rhubarb crowns. Some variet-ies form seed stalks yearly whileothers seldom produce them.Growers usually cut seed stalks offas they appear. The seed is usedVegetative propagation bydivision of the crowns is thecommon and best method ofrhubarb propagation. Large vegeta-tive buds are found on the upperportion of the crowns; you can cuteach crown into several divisions,with a large bud on each piece.Divide the crowns when the plantsare dormant. Five- or 6-year-oldcrowns should yield 8 to 10 good-quality pieces. Plant the pieces assoon after division as possible, butyou may store them under dry, coolconditions for a few weeks.

    The number of years you mayharvest a rhubarb planting dependson a number of factors, but usuallyproductivity declines after 5 or6 years, and it is then time toreplant.

    An older, unproductive rhubarbfield often may be rejuvenated byplowing or cutting a section withHUBARBJ. PARSONS, N.S. MANSOUR,

    and J.R. BAGGETT

    Rhubarb is quite hardy; theleaves withstand temperatures aslow as 35F without damage. Thewoody rhizome and crown willstay in frozen or very cold, dry soilfor months without any damagefrom cold or desiccation. Rhubarb

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  • fields during August and

    single harvest of the field. For freshrhubarb are available for planting.The leading variety for outdoorproduction is Crimson (sometimesreferred to as Crimson Cherry orCrimson Wine). Grown both forfresh market and processing, it is avigorous-growing variety thatproduces bright red stalks. Theinternal color of the stalk also is red.

    The varieties grown for indoorforcing are Victoria and GermanWine. Victoria is an older variety,with long, round stalks withsmooth ribs. When grown out-doors, the internal stalk color isgreen; externally this varietyhigh-quality stalks, heavyapplications of fertilizer arenecessary. If manure is available,incorporate 25 to 35 tons peracre in the soil before planting.Follow this with a manuremulch each fall.

    If manure is not available,apply 800 to 1,000 pounds peracre of 16-8-8 or similar commer-cial fertilizer in the early spring.Apply 200 to 300 pounds of afertilizer such as ammonium nitrateafter harvest, to stimulate regrowthand good crown and root develop-ment. The spring growth comesmainly from reserves stored in theroots the previous season.

    VarietiesSeveral named varieties ofSoilA deep, rich, well-drained, sandy

    loam is ideal for rhubarb produc-tion. A sandy soil with southernexposure produces the earliest crop,while production from heavier soilsusually is delayed. Light soilsrequire more fertilizer and waterthan heavier soils. A slight tomedium acid soil is desirable forthis crop. Due to rhubarbs highwater requirement, the soil needsto have plenty of organic matterto help hold the moisture for thegrowing plants.

    FertilizerIn order to produce large,and German Wine are forced insidedarkened sheds, they producebrightly colored red stalks. Victoriatends to produce an excess numberof seed stalks when grownoutdoors.

    Other varieties occasionallygrown in Oregon are RiversideGiant, a green variety; and Valen-tine, Canada Red, and MacDonald,all red varieties.

    PlantingYou can plant rhubarb in the

    spring and late fall, but where thewinters tend to be severe its best towait until the spring. Fertilize andwork the soil deeply and thor-oughly before planting. Spaceplants 2 to 3 feet apart in rowsabout 5 feet apart. When growingcrowns for forcing, place rows 5 to6 feet apart to allow use of heavyequipment to lift and removecrowns from the field. Plant the topdevelops a pink speckling on a lightgreen stalk. The pink color is moreintense at the bottom and fades to asolid green near the top of the stalk.

    German Wine is similar toVictoria but is slightly more vigor-ous and more intense in color,typically with a darker pink speck-ling on a green stem. When Victoriamarket sales, rhubarb is pulledselectively at weekly intervals inorder to encourage production of aSeptember allows the storageof food reserves in plant roots,

    which encourages early dormancyin the fall and strong, vigorousgrowth the following spring.

    HarvestingWait until at least the second

    year after planting to harvest yourfirst stalks. Market gardenersusually wait 2 or 3 years betweenplanting and harvest to allowdevelopment of good color. Pull thestalks by grasping the stalk downnear the crown. A slight twist andside pull loosens the stalk withoutbreaking or injuring the primarybud. Its important to avoid buddamage, because each bud willproduce several stalks.

    A normal cropping season lastsabout 8 weeks. Rhubarb grown forprocessing often is harvested inMay and again in July. All stalks ofsufficient size are removed in aof the crown 1 to 2 inches below thesurface. Pack the soil around thenewly planted division so that thereare no air pockets that might allowthe young plants to dry.

    IrrigationRhubarb is a very hardy veg-

    etable and can withstand droughtconditions well. Irrigation usually isnot necessary during spring har-vest, April through May. However,you can obtain the best yields by

    irrigating fields beginning about2 to 3 weeks after harvest

    and continuing until the rhubarbhas regrown. Maturity of the

    second crop usually occursin early to mid-July, at

    which time you may harvestthe field again and regrow it,

    or leave it unharvested andallow it to go dormant throughthe remainder of July orAugust. The slow decline of

  • reduce yield the following year.

    Indoor forcingYou may force rhubarb crowns

    for a spring crop maturing duringthe January-to-March period. Makeyour plantings with this use inmind. The best forced crop comesfrom crowns from which no stalkshave been removed. The time fordigging the crowns for forcing

    longer. The stalks are trimmed andpacked, usually 15 pounds per box.

    Yields vary from 6 to 14 poundsof rhubarb per crown. After youcomplete harvest, haul the spentcrowns out of the shed and dumpthem. These crowns are weakenedand depleted from being forced; itis not advisable to split thesecrowns for plants to establish newfields.

    the crown. Cover the crown with2-ml-thick plastic, allowing about10 inches slack in the plasticcovering the dormant crown, toallow room for petioles to lift theplastic as they grow. Cover theedges of the plastic with soil to holdit in place, or bend wire hoops overthe row to support the plastic.

    Cut 14-inch ventilation holes inthe plastic as the rhubarb begins togrow. When stalks push tightlyvaries with the variety and the

    amount of cold induction it hasreceived. Victoria usually is lifted inearly December; German Wine inJanuary. Forcing is done in adarkened building with the crownsplaced side by side, usually onearth floors. Leave walkways aboutevery 6 feet to allow room for careand harvesting of the crop.

    Keep the crowns moist and thetemperature around 58 to 62F.Provide ventilation to preventfungus growth that might easilystart under warm, humid condi-tions. The stalks grow rapidly andhave a delicate pink color whenforced in a warm, dark room. Thegreatest production comes from2- to 3-year crowns that have grownvigorously in the field. Forcedrhubarb stalks are very tender;You can accomplish earlyoutdoor production by coveringhills with plastic, straw, or strawymanure, held in place by some typeTwo-year-old crowns normallyare used, and you must plan arotation schedule to providesufficient quantity of crowns to fillyour sheds yearly.

    In the home gardenHome gardeners often maintain

    a few hills of rhubarb at the side orback of the garden area so they mayenjoy this fine vegetable eachspring. Due to its tolerance of cold,rhubarb is one of the earliestvegetables to be harvested in thespring. Because of its bright redstalks and large green leaves, it isan attractive plant for your garden.against the plastic, you may cut anopening to allow leaves to expandthrough. Harvest may begin assoon as stalks are of sufficient size.

    Mature crowns covered in earlyFebruary will produce usablerhubarb about 10 days early. Youmay use black plastic, but youryields will be lowered. However,your rhubarb stalks will be a brightred color and leaves completelyyellow due to the exclusion of light.

    If you have an area suitable forindoor forcing, you could grow afew extra hills for even earlierproduction and use. Dig thesecrowns in early January anddiscard after forcing. Crowns thatare covered in place with straw orplastic may be recovered yearly andneed not be discarded.specific-size stalk with uniformcolor.

    If you harvest in the JulyAugustperiod, the rhubarbs maturity maybe delayed the following spring.Late-summer harvest also may

    exercise care in harvesting toprevent breakage of stalks anddamage to buds.

    The crop is ready to harvestabout 30 days after forcing is begunor when the stalks are 18 inches or

    of framework. Clear plastic givesthe best results. When covering thecrown with plastic, secure the edgesby digging a 4-inch deep ditcharound the crown or along the row,keeping about 12 inches away from

  • This publication was produced and distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Extension work is acooperative program of Oregon State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Oregon counties.

    Oregon State University Extension Service offers educational programs, activities, and materialswithout discrimination based on race, color,religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, disability, or disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran status. Oregon State UniversityExtension Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

    Reprinted May 2003.

    PropagationSoilFertilizerVarietiesPlantingIrrigationHarvestingIndoor forcingIn the home garden