Rhubarb (bare root)

[stevenkh1]

Hi All,

I've been to youtube and searched the web on how to start Rhubarb from bare roots and there's not much out there.

They are in bags and in a soil-like mixture (I assume they are dormant).

As I live in Zone 5b, do I place them in some 4" or 5" pots now with MiracleGro and start watering them? Do I wait? When should I transplant them?

Thanks in advance for your guidance,

Steve
Michigan

[yotetrapper]

I hate growing things from bare root. That said, usually I think you just wait till its warm enough to plant them stick the roots in a hole outside. At least thats what I do. I dont know about putting them in pots? 4" seems small...if I was starting them in a pot I think I'd use a gallon size one at least.

[mjc]

Leave them in the bag, stick it in the fridge and plant them directly in the ground when it warms up. Remember, no harvesting any this year...or next. The year after you can harvest a little.

[OmahaJB]

While researching how to transplant rhubarb a year or two ago, I remember reading something about transplanting them when it's still a little dark out to keep the sun from hurting the roots. I don't know enough about it to say how important that is, but it is what I read.

I'm excited at finally being able to order Valentine rhubarb. I read about it in one of the seed catalogs last year but it was sold out before I tried ordering. The blurb said it was the winner in a trial of 25 Canadian varieties. It was backordered when I called and I wont get it until at least late March, so there is the possibility they'll run out before completing my order, but I doubt it. Sounds like a great one.

I tried growing from seed last year and the rhubarb didn't do real well. It grew but is very small compared to what my sister grew from root stock. The one I started from seed is Victoria. Someone told me in one of my threads that it takes a long time to grow rhubarb from seed to decent size.

Edited to add: I ordered 3 roots and I'm planning on planting one in-ground, one in a 5-gallon growbag, and will be giving one away. Hoping the one in the grow bag does ok.

[mjc]

What you started from seed is going to take the minimum of three years to be able to be harvested. This year you need to plant it in the ground.

Rhubarb is also a very heavy feeder, so it would be great to work a bunch of composted manure into the planting bed. Dumping manure on top of the plants (composted) in the fall is also a common practice, as is side dressing with it in the spring, before it starts to sprout.

[OmahaJB]

Thanks for the tips, mjc. I should have been more clear about the Victoria I started from seed last winter. I transplanted it into the ground in early spring. Honestly, I was just happy it survived, unlike the lettuce I tried planting.

What I was considering doing is planting one of the Valentine roots in a 5 or 10-gallon grow bag to see how it does compared to one of the other Valentine roots I plan on putting in the ground. Sounds like it may be a bad idea though to have it in the grow bag.
Will have to reconsider that idea.

[stevenkh1]

Originally Posted by mjc

Leave them in the bag, stick it in the fridge and plant them directly in the ground when it warms up. Remember, no harvesting any this year...or next. The year after you can harvest a little.

Terrific! Sounds easy enough and I'll plant with miracle gro & compost.

The next question is when it comes to harvest time; the leaves are poisonous but I've read rhubarb grows very, very quickly. I assume I can harvest late spring/summer vs. Fall like most other veggies???

Thank you,

Steve

[OmahaJB]

Steve,

From what I've read rhubarb, although it does grow quickly, should not be harvested the 1st year, and only lightly harvested the 2nd year if at all.

Part of the reason I bought 3 roots instead of 1 is because I plan on making my own rules and at least trying the rhubarb this year from one of the plants. I'll leave the others alone until at least next year.

Jeff

[stevenkh1]

Originally Posted by OmahaJB

Steve,

From what I've read rhubarb, although it does grow quickly, should not be harvested the 1st year, and only lightly harvested the 2nd year if at all.

Part of the reason I bought 3 roots instead of 1 is because I plan on making my own rules and at least trying the rhubarb this year from one of the plants. I'll leave the others alone until at least next year.

Jeff

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for your reply; I figured it was going to be a few years...my question was *when* is the season of harvest? Spring? Summer?

[yotetrapper]

Spring. Rhubarb is the very first "pie" making plant/fruit of the year to become ready, generally 2-4 weeks before the strawberries in your area, harvesting continues through the first ripe strawberries, why strawberry rhubarb pie is quite popular (and delicious!).

[stevenkh1]

Originally Posted by yotetrapper

Spring. Rhubarb is the very first "pie" making plant/fruit of the year to become ready, generally 2-4 weeks before the strawberries in your area, harvesting continues through the first ripe strawberries, why strawberry rhubarb pie is quite popular (and delicious!).

Thank you for your prompt response; there's not alot about rhubarb on the web...evidently it's not widely grown anymore...

Steve

[mjc]

It is one of the first things to sprout in the spring...you wait until the first few leaves are well 'out' and growing before picking anything. Then you harvest no more than half the leaves/stalks at a time. The stalk is used and the leave go in the compost bin.

[OmahaJB]

Gotcha Steve,

We had rhubarb (the same stock) for over 30 years from when I was a kid (or before I was born possibly) and as I recall the best time for harvesting was between mid-summer through early fall. Seems spring it was just starting out with new stalks although we sometimes snapped one or two off. But it really filled out as the summer went on.

I loved it but it was taken for granted most of the time. Usually once or twice a year my mother would make pie or sauce out of it, and probably once or twice a year us kids would fill a baggie full of sugar and dip the rhubarb in the sugar. That was quite a rollercoaster of tastes! hah...

Enjoy your rhubarb. What variety did you buy?

[stevenkh1]

Originally Posted by OmahaJB

Gotcha Steve,

We had rhubarb (the same stock) for over 30 years from when I was a kid (or before I was born possibly) and as I recall the best time for harvesting was between mid-summer through early fall. Seems spring it was just starting out with new stalks although we sometimes snapped one or two off. But it really filled out as the summer went on.

I loved it but it was taken for granted most of the time. Usually once or twice a year my mother would make pie or sauce out of it, and probably once or twice a year us kids would fill a baggie full of sugar and dip the rhubarb in the sugar. That was quite a rollercoaster of tastes! hah...

Enjoy your rhubarb. What variety did you buy?

Hi OJB,

I used to eat it as a kid when my grandmother (b. 1888) grew it. She used to make the BEST rhubarb pies (no strawberries or other fillers; she used to cook it down until it was like chunky applesauce; and it seems to me she used molasses or brown sugar along with regular sugar...then she'd sprinkle sugar atop of the crust as well).

I have Victoria - one of the old varieties. I didn't know "how old" it was until I was reading an old gardening magazine from 1848 and saw in the Award of Premiums/Vegetables where the winner was 12 stalks of Victoria Rhubarb; "seedling of 1847 that was superior to any exhibited".

Steve

[OmahaJB]

That's one of my two varieties as well and am looking forward to comparing Valentine and Victoria. I read somewhere, I believe on one of the seed websites that the 'spotted' types (I think that was the word used), like Victoria are not as good as the reds, like Canada Red and Valentine. I'll believe that only if I personally find that to be true. Victoria's been around a long time like you mentioned, so somebody must have like it throughout all those past generations.

Pie is much preferred by me over cake, and rhubarb pie is on my list that I'll eat. Used to love that homemade crust along with the way the rhubarb was prepared. Delicious!