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© Frances Michaels
COMMON NAMES: Rhubarb BOTANICAL NAME: Rheum rhabarbarum FAMILY: Polygonaceae, the knotweed family
PLANT DESCRIPTION A herbaceous perennial leafy plant, reaching a metre in height, with thick red stalks. It requires a cold winter and can be hard to grow in areas with very hot summers or high humidity.
USES Only the rhubarb stalks should be eaten and they must be cooked. Rhubarb is rich in iron, and vitamins A and C. It is used as a 'fruit', and can be baked in pies and crumbles, it combines well with apples and ginger. Rhubarb leaves are poisonous, they should never be eaten or fed to stock.
PLANTING Plant in an open, sunny position. Leave undisturbed for 4-5 years and then divide the plants. Rhubarb requires a deep, well-drained soil, enriched with well-rotted animal manure. Water well in dry spells and mulch the plants annually each spring with compost. Feed with a liquid manure to encourage stem formation. Cut out any flower stems that develop and pick stems very lightly in the first year. The best planting time is May to October. Plant the crowns just under the surface, 50-60 cm apart.
HARVEST Harvest by pulling the thickest, healthiest stalks off gently, do not cut them and leave a stub. Do not take more than half the stalks of any one plant.
RHUBARB INSECTICIDE SPRAY: Cut up 1 kg of rhubarb leaves, boil in 3 litres of water for 30 minutes. Strain through a cloth or old stocking. When cool, dissolve 30 grams of soap flakes in 1 litre of hot water. Add this to the mixture. Use as a general botanical insecticide spray against aphids, whitefly and caterpillars.
Available from Green Harvest: July to September 2009
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RHUBARB
GROWING INFORMATION