Rhubarb Seeds

Product Description

Rhubarb is one of the hardier crops, tolerant of cold, frost and wind. It's a staple crop you can plant, fertilise, water and walk away from once it’s established. Aesthetically, it adds colour and texture to the garden. Rhubarb is sometimes considered a fruit, because it is generally eaten with sweet dishes. Technically, however, it’s a vegetable, and hence it appears in vegetable patches and plots around the country.

The stalks are the only edible part of the rhubarb plant. These have a rich, tart flavor when cooked. The leaves of the rhubarb plant are toxic. They contain an irritant called oxalic acid, so be sure that they are not ingested.

What’s lovely about rhubarb is that it’s a perennial: A healthy plant will remain productive for 10 years or more. For that reason, rhubarb should be planted in its own space in any corner of the garden where it can grow undisturbed. Rhubarb is easy to grow but needs a dormancy period to thrive and produce an abundance of huge stalks. Rhubarb does best where the average temperature falls below 40ºF (4°C) in the winter and below 75ºF (24°C) in the summer.

Choose a site with soil that is well-draining and fertile. Good drainage is essential, as rhubarb will rot if kept too wet. Mix compost, rotted manure, or anything high in organic matter into the soil.

• Choose a spot in full sun.
• Prepare your soil with organic matter like compost and sheep pellets.
• Add a layer of vegetable mix to plant into. 
• Feed with a general fertiliser during the key growth periods of spring and autumn.
• Keep plants well watered, particularly through dry periods.