Rhubarb Donation Tracker

Quick Links: How & Where to Grow | Temperature | How to Care For | Harvest Signs | Harvesting | Pests | Companions | Varieties | Preservation | Recipes | Michigan Tips | Fun Facts
 

🌱 How & Where to Grow Rhubarb:

• Plant crowns in early spring as soon as soil can be worked.
• Choose permanent location – rhubarb can produce for 15-20 years!
• Space plants 3-4 feet apart – they grow into large clumps.
• Plant crowns with buds 1-2 inches below soil surface.
• Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade (6+ hours preferred).
• Soil Type: Rich, well-drained soil with pH 6.0-6.8.
• Soil Amendment: Heavy feeder – add generous compost and aged manure.

Patience required: No harvest year 1, light harvest year 2, full harvest year 3 onward!
 

🌡️ Temperature Guidance:

Needs 500+ hours below 40°F. Hardy to -40°F. Dies back at frost.

• Winter chill: Requires extended cold for proper dormancy.
• Spring growth: Begins when soil reaches 40°F.
• Growing season: Thrives at 60-75°F.
• Summer stress: Goes semi-dormant above 85°F.
• Extremely cold hardy – one of the first plants up in spring!

Michigan’s cold winters are essential – rhubarb won’t grow in warm climates!
 

💧 How to Care for:

• Consistent Moisture: Critical for tender stalks – never let dry out.
• Watering: 1-2 inches weekly, more during stalk production.
• Mulch: 3-4 inches of organic mulch, pull back in early spring.
• Fertilizer: Top-dress with compost each spring, side-dress after harvest.
• Flower removal: Cut flower stalks immediately to maintain production.

📏 Harvest Signs:

No harvest year 1, light year 2, full year 3+. Stalks 12-18 inches long.

• Year 1: NO harvesting – let plant establish.
• Year 2: Harvest lightly for 2-3 weeks only.
• Year 3+: Full harvest for 8-10 weeks in spring/early summer.
• Stalk readiness: 12-18 inches long, at least 3/4 inch thick.
• Stop harvesting: By July 4th to let plant recover for next year.

Color doesn’t indicate ripeness – some varieties stay green when ready!
 

🧺 Harvesting:

Pull stalks with twist. Never harvest more than 1/3. Leaves toxic!

• Grasp stalk near base and pull with slight twisting motion.
• Alternative: Cut with sharp knife at soil level.
• Remove leaves immediately – they’re TOXIC to humans and animals!
• Harvest rule: Never take more than 1/3 of stalks at once.
• Leave small stalks (pencil-thin) to feed the plant.

🪲 Michigan Pests:

Remarkably pest-free! Occasional crown rot, rhubarb curculio.

• Crown rot: Main problem in poorly drained soil – ensure good drainage.
• Rhubarb curculio: Beetle that punctures stalks – hand-pick if seen.
• Slugs: May damage young shoots – use beer traps.
• Leaf spots: Remove affected leaves, improve air circulation.
• Generally one of the most trouble-free perennial crops!

🫱🏽‍🫲🏼 Companions:

Good with garlic, onions, beans. Give plenty of space – grows large!

• Garlic and onions: May help deter pests.
• Beans: Fix nitrogen that benefits hungry rhubarb.
• Avoid: Competition from trees or large shrubs.
• Space consideration: Mature plants spread 4+ feet wide.
• Permanent bed: Best grown with other perennials like asparagus.

🌿 Varieties:

‘Victoria’, ‘Canada Red’, ‘Valentine’, ‘Crimson Cherry’.

• ‘Victoria’: Green stalks, reliable, good for Michigan.
• ‘Canada Red’: Deep red stalks, sweet, cold hardy.
• ‘Valentine’: Red stalks, less stringy, excellent flavor.
• ‘Crimson Cherry’: Bright red, sweet, low acid.
• ‘MacDonald’: Tender red stalks, Canadian variety.

🫙 Preservation:

Freeze raw chunks. Can as sauce. Dehydrate. Fresh 1 week.

• Freezing: Cut in 1-inch pieces, freeze on trays, bag when solid.
• Fresh storage: Wrap stalks in damp towel, refrigerate 1 week.
• Canning: Only as sauce or jam – follow tested recipes.
• Dehydrating: Makes tart “fruit” leather.
• Root cellar: Dig roots in fall, force indoors for winter stalks.

🧑🏽‍🍳 Recipes:

Strawberry-rhubarb pie, rhubarb crisp, compote, chutney, upside-down cake.

• Classic strawberry-rhubarb pie – the perfect spring dessert!
• Rhubarb crisp with oatmeal topping.
• Rhubarb simple syrup for cocktails and lemonade.
• Savory rhubarb chutney for meats.
• Rhubarb barbecue sauce – surprisingly delicious!

✋🏼 Michigan Tips:

• Michigan’s climate is perfect – we easily meet chill requirements.
• Divide established clumps every 6-8 years in early spring.
• Sterling Heights area was once the “Rhubarb Capital” of the U.S.!
• Apply winter mulch after ground freezes.
• Force early stalks by covering with buckets in March.
• Plant on north side of garden – won’t shade other crops.

🧠 Fun Facts:

• Actually a vegetable but legally classified as fruit in the U.S. (1947 court case)!
• Native to Siberia – needs cold winters to thrive.
• Leaves contain toxic oxalic acid but make great organic pesticide.
• Michigan once produced 90% of the world’s hothouse rhubarb.
• Marco Polo introduced rhubarb to Europe from China.
• Originally grown for medicinal purposes, not food.
• The word comes from Greek “rha” (Volga River) and “barbarum” (foreign).
• Forcing rhubarb in dark cellars produces tender, sweet “champagne” rhubarb.