Growing rhubarb is easy…it needs very little from you. Very few plants are as beautiful, produce as well and love neglect as rhubarbs.

Though they are a vegetable, we generally treat them as a fruit…so, I celebrate their spring arrival with visions of baked goods dancing in my head.

Unlike most vegetables rhubarb is a perennial and so can be left in the ground and will return a crop for many years (around 10 to 15 years).

Rhubarb is quite a hardy crop and is able to withstand lack of water. Apart from applying fertilizer,  rhubarb will survive and produce good yields with little other tending.

There are several different varieties of rhubarb grown all over the world and used in a variety of cooking preparations. One characteristic consistent with all rhubarb is the toxicity of the leaves and roots. And,

The rhubarb leaves contain high amounts of oxalic acid, a toxic and potentially deadly poison. Only the stems are edible.

Nutritionally, it is low in calories and very acidic (pH 3.1). The acid is offset by the addition of sugar, which also increases the calorie count. Rhubarb is 95 percent water and has potassium and a modest amount of vitamin C.

Good news for those looking for tasty ways to potentially improve their odds of staying healthy: baked rhubarb may help fight cancer.

Researchers found that baking garden rhubarb for 20 minutes dramatically boosted levels of anti-cancer chemicals called polyphenols. Previous research has shown that polyphenols selectively kill or prevent the growth of cancer cells.

Researchers now plan to study the effect of rhubarb’s polyphenols on leukemia.

Rhubarb is best grown from rhubarb crowns rather than growing from seed. Rhubarb should be planted in early spring and requires low temperatures (around 40 deg F) for it to break its winter dormancy and renew growth.

Crowns should be planted about 10cm below the soil surface with the crown bud about 2 inches below the soil surface.

Rhubarb will grow well in part shaded areas. And, it does not grow well in high temperatures. But, it grows best in slightly acidic soil – pH 6.0-6.8.

Do not harvest the plant in the first year as the nutrients produced by the leaves should be channeled back into the roots to ensure a strong root system for stem production in the following years growth.

In the second year harvest a couple of stalks per plant and after that you can harvest as normal.

Rhubarb should be planted at the end of one side of the garden where it will not be disturbed since it may be productive for five years or more. A half-dozen plants will provide enough rhubarb for a family of four.

Researchers have found records of rhubarb being used for medicinal purposes as far back as 2700 B.C. in China. I don’t use it as a medicine but I can tell you that there is no better medicine than a big slice of rhubarb pie and a glass of ice cold milk.

Recommended Varieties:

Red Petioles (leafstalks)

Canada Red (long, thick stalks, extra sweet)

Cherry Red (rich red inside and out)

Crimson Red (tall, plump petioles)

MacDonald (tender skin; brilliant red)

Ruby

Valentine (petioles 22 by 1-1/2 inches, good flavor)

Green Petioles (leafstalks)

Victoria (shaded with red)

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Yours truly, Polly – Organic Gardener