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.
View Our Rhubarb Crowns Selection 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
David Manring
I am looking for strawberry rhubarb crowns.
Andrew
Hi David. I am afraid we don’t stock strawberry rhubarb crowns, sorry! Sounds interesting though, I will see if we can get them. Andrew
Dawn
Hello,
Do you know of anyone who has or can get a crown or Riverside Giant rhubarb? I’ve looked and looked to no avail. Any help would be much appreciated!
Helen McRae
I am looking for a green rhubarb plant (totally green). It makes a great jam with oranges added.
Paul Leeson
Australia
Is Rhubarb best grown in full sun or 80% shade?
What is the best plant food to use and when to apply
Andrew
Hi Paul
Rhubarb is best in part shade if you are in a hot region but it will need at least 6 hrs sun a day so don’t plant in a very shaded spot. If you can get your hands on well rotted manure that will be ideal, if not use a good organic poultry manure pellet, I think you guys have ‘Seamungus’ over there which is excellent. I would mix in a handful of blood, fish and bone in the planting hole to encourage root development if you are establishing a new plant. I hope this helps. Andrew
Stacey Sampson
I have a rhubarb plant, it’s now in it’s second year since planting. I did not harvest asnything the first year. The stalks are only slightly red. There nothing like what you find in the grocery store or in pictures. How and what can I do to get fully red stalks? My plant gets morning shade with full sun in the afternoon. Is there any specific types of fertizlier (Miracle-Gro) that is recommended? How often should I water, etc. Any advice would be appreciated.
Andrew
Hi Stacey, it depends on the variety you have. Victoria, for example is quite green so that could be it. Rhubarb likes slightly moist soil so they generally don’t need to be watered although in this heatwave it may not be any harm to give them a little. I normally put a top dressing of well rotted manure around my rhubarb crowns in winter. You could use something like seafeed seaweed & poultry manure and scatter some pellets around the plant now and again in winter. Hope this helps.