{"id":2064,"date":"2020-11-09T09:40:33","date_gmt":"2020-11-09T09:40:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gardendad.co.uk\/?p=2064"},"modified":"2020-11-11T10:06:23","modified_gmt":"2020-11-11T10:06:23","slug":"how-to-grow-rhubarb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gardendad.co.uk\/how-to-grow-rhubarb\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Grow Rhubarb: A Simple Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rhubarb is a strange plant, there\u2019s no doubt about it – it grows from a \u201ccrown\u201d<\/em> and it is only the stems that we eat. It disappears completely in winter, but returns with a vengeance in the spring and summer (unless grown in a heated greenhouse<\/a>). If you love rhubarb in all its forms, you may be wondering how to grow rhubarb – the good news is that it is very easy!<\/p>\n

What is rhubarb?<\/h2>\n

\"What<\/p>\n

You may know rhubarb from rhubarb crumbles, jams and compotes, and you wouldn\u2019t be alone. Most people use rhubarb in sweet dishes – but it is technically a vegetable.<\/p>\n

No one is sure where rhubarb originated from, but it was definitely grown in Europe before the 18th<\/sup> century, where it was used for both culinary and medicinal purposes. It is also thought to have been used in China for thousands of years for medical purposes.<\/p>\n

It has always been a popular foodstuff; to the point that in medieval times, the costs of transporting rhubarb made it even more expensive than Saffron, Cinnamon and even Opium!<\/p>\n

Rhubarb is a herbaceous perennial, which grows short, thick stems known as rhizomes, and it is these parts that we eat.<\/p>\n

How to grow rhubarb<\/h2>\n

A. What to plant<\/h3>\n

You can grow rhubarb from seed, but it is usually grown from a dormant crown. This method generally produces better results and is a more reliable method of producing good, thick stalks.<\/p>\n

You can also grow them from cuttings taken from the very base of the plant, but these may take a little longer to get established.<\/p>\n

B. When to plant<\/h3>\n

Your crown is best planted out of doors in your veg patch in the colder months, between Autumn and Spring, before it starts to really grow and produce. If you want to grow your rhubarb in pots, you can do this at any point during the year, especially if they are to live in a greenhouse<\/a>.<\/p>\n

C. How to plant<\/h3>\n

The crown needs to sit well into the soil so that its roots can spread, but avoid covering the top of the crown with soil, as this will make it rot.<\/p>\n

Leave a few inches poking up, and ensure that the area is kept weed free while the plant establishes itself. You should pick a spot for your rhubarb that it can live in permanently, as the plants don\u2019t respond well to being moved around often.<\/p>\n

This is a simple video on how to grow rhubarb:<\/p>\n