Perennials
Rhubarb
Harvest from year two.
- Outside
- Plant crowns early fall, permanent corner
- Where
- In ground, deep rich soil
- Sun
- Full sun; afternoon shade is fine
- Water
- Deep soak in dry spells; mulch does the rest
- Harvest
- Apr to Jun, from year two
Planted once, rhubarb pays out every April through June for a decade, asking one permanent corner and an annual load of compost. The single hard rule is patience: nothing gets pulled until year two.
Growing
Set crowns in early fall in deep, rich ground with a yard of elbow room; it needs a permanent corner, not a rotating bed, because it will outlast most fences. Pull stalks with a twist instead of cutting, take nothing the first year and a light harvest the second, and always stop by late June so the plant rebuilds through summer and fall. Snap out flower stalks on sight, and pile on compost or manure every autumn; rhubarb is the rare crop that cannot be overfed. A dry spell wants one long soak at the crown rather than daily sips; between times the mulch and the huge leaves keep the moisture in.
Varieties
Victoria is the vigorous green-red standby; Canada Red brings the color the pie photos promise.
In the kitchen
Pie first, obviously, but roasted with sugar it holds its shape for yogurt and cakes, and chopped raw it freezes well enough that June can supply Christmas. The leaves go to the compost, never the pot.