How to Care for Victoria Rhubarb

Rhubarb, or Rheum rhabarbarum, is a cool-season (or winter-hardy) perennial vegetable that grows well in most backyard gardens in the United States. This plant is grown for the green to red, tangy flavored leafstalk that is used in sauces, tarts and pies. Victoria rhubarb is a popular variety known to produce well in most regions. Victoria features long, hefty stems, vivid red skin and less stringiness than other varieties. Rhubarb will return for several seasons, so it's important to carefully select and prepare the planting area and properly care for the rhubarb after planting.

Shovel
Hoe
Rake
Compost
Well-rotted manure
5-10-10 fertilizer
Hand trowel
Straw
Knife or pruners

Instructions

- 1
  Choose a planting site with rich, well-drained soil and full to partial sun. Clear the area of all foliage, especially any weeds.
- 2
  Use hand garden tools or a mechanized tiller to break up the soil to a depth of 10 inches. Add a layer of 3 or more inches of organic matter, such as aged manure and compost. Add a fertilizer, such as 5-10-10, as instructed on the label. Work these into the soil about 6 inches with a shovel or hoe, and then rake the area so it's level.
- 3
  Dig a hole with a hand trowel for each Victoria rhubarb transplant. The hole should be deep enough to bury the roots of the plant and cover the crown with 1 to 2 inches of soil. Space the rhubarb plants 3 to 4 feet apart in rows that also are 3 to 4 feet apart.
- 4
  Soak the rhubarb well after planting to push the soil against the roots, remove any air in the soil and settle the plants. Water the plants as needed to provide moist soil, and watch for new buds.
- 5
  Cover the area around the rhubarb with 3 to 4 inches of weed-free straw. The straw will keep the soil cool and moist, and it will deter weeds as well. Lightly cultivate around the plants as needed to keep the area free of weeds.
- 6
  Continue to water the plants throughout the growing season, particularly during any dry periods. Apply fertilizer again in the middle of summer. Repeat the spring and summer fertilizer applications every season.
- 7
  Trim off any flower stalks on the rhubarb, and don't harvest any leafstalks the first season. This allows the plants to develop healthy root systems.
- 8
  Harvest stalks for only one or two weeks in the second season, and begin a full harvest starting in the third season. Pick the stalks as soon as the leaves open. Pull the stalk from near the bottom of the plant and remove all of the leaves. Never remove more than one-third of a plant's stalks at one time.
- 9
  Wait until the Victoria rhubarb naturally dies back after a frost. Place a 2- to 3-inch layer of straw over the plants for the winter. When growth begins the following spring, take off half of the straw.

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