Start Your Rhubarb-Garden
It is not difficult to grow your rhubarb-garden in your very own backyard. If the conditions are right, rhubarb is a wonderful perennial which will return faithfully year after year. You only have to get it started on the right track with the proper soil, location and just a few other considerations. This wonderfully sour and tart plant is a cool season perennial. It is classed within the zone 2-9 and so it tolerates the cold winter weather very well. Dry conditions are not condusive at all to a good harvest. The location of your garden is important. There should be a good mixture of sun as well as shade. The ground should be well weeded. The soil should be rich with manure or compost. Rhubarb thrives in well-composted dirt mixed with peat moss and organic materials. The garden should also have good drainage. My grandparents actually had their rhubarb-garden on a raised bed up against the back of their home. There was plenty of sun, and a cool shade later in the day. The plants grew extremely well and there was no end to the picking. They also had one huge chunk growing out of an old tire! I always got the best rhubarb out of that one little spot as well. Air circulation is also an important factor. This prevents rotting on rainy days and after regular garden watering. You may want to consider also the landscaping that is around your rhubarb. So, as long as the soil is rich with the proper nutrients and the location seems just right, there is one thing left to consider. In addition to the compost, rhubarb requires nitrogen. The
fertilizer should be applied in early spring as you begin to
work your garden area. Of course it depends on just how big
you would like your growing space to be, but usually a few cupfulls will do.
Adding some lime will also help to check the soil acidity also.
You may also want to consider what other plants you should or should not have around your rhubarb. Sometimes, this does matter.
This great site is an absolute must-see for Home Soil Improvement.
Ideally to get the most out of your plants, fertilize 3 times during the year. In the early Spring, (March or April) is a good time before any growth begins. Fertilize again just after the growth appears, and at the end of the harvest season. The fertilizer should be worked well into the top of the soil and water it well also. Compost on top will provide food over the dormant period. There are so many different varieties and opinions of what strengths
of fertilizer to use. Please check with your local nursery as to
what they would suggest.
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