Rhubarb is a fantastic plant for any vegetable garden as it comes up every year and will produce an excellent crop with the minimum of maintenance. It is perfect for the first time grower as it is so easy to grow and care for. We are offering 3 varieties of Rhubarb to give a little extra choice which can be ordered now for delivery at the end of October – early November. The best time to plant Rhubarb is late Autumn to early Winter with November to December being the best in our experience.
Growing Rhubarb
You can quickly link to the growing Rhubarb article here.
Our rhubarb varieties for this year are as follows:
Timperley Early
Timperley early is one of the best all round varieties and is as the name suggests and early maturing variety, it can be ready as early as March depending on the Spring temperatures. Timperely early is very easy to establish and has good disease resistance and produces stalks of approx 24 inches. Usually we don’t recommend harvesting your rhubarb in the first year but with this variety you can harvest a small amount in year one. You can be more vigorous with you harvesting in the second year with the plant producing well for at least ten years.
Victoria
Victoria is one of the older varieties which was first introduced in 1837 and has been hugely popular ever since. One of the latest varieties to put up stalks in the Spring and will crop from May to August. Stalk length is 36 – 48 inches and are a beautiful lavender pink. Looks fantastic in the garden when blooming with its huge leaves and long striking stalks. Also suitable for forcing indoors in winter when it will crop from late Feb to March. Plant in rich soil in full sun.
Glaskins Perpetual
Glaskins Perpetual was first produced in Brighton in the U.K. around 1920. The variety produces large long stemmed stalks bright red in colour which are juicy and hold their flavour well.
Glaskins perpetual is the only rhubarb suitable for late season harvesting as the oxalic acid remains low hence the name ‘perpetual’. Oxalic acid gives raw rhubarb a sharp taste and is also found in perpetual spinach and chard. Cooking will remove most of it but high levels can be unpleasant, it’s particularly high in rhubarb leaves which is why we don’t eat them and are viewed as poisonous.
Kathleen Blossom
Do you know of a source for crowns of Timperley Early Rhubarb at his time of year? (spring 2014)
Andrew
Hi Kathleen
I’m afraid you are a little late to be sourcing rhubarb crowns at this time of year. Can I ask you where you are located and I may be able to recommend a local supplier.
Best regards
Andrew
Caitlin
Hi, I am wanting to start growing Temperley Early in my garden, however I think I’m a bit late. It’s already February. Should I wait until this fall? I am in Missouri.
Andrew
Hi Caitlin
You will be fine to go ahead now, just don’t harvest any stalks for the first year to allow the plant to grow plenty of leaf and build it’s root system. I hope this helps. Andrew