Rhubarb it is a perennial plant that can be grown without problems both in pots and in the garden. Its growth rate is reasonably fast, reaching a height of up to 3 meters. In addition, a large number of leaves sprout from its stems; so that you can prepare delicious healthy dishes, such as salad, with its petioles (the reddish stems).
But How to grow rhubarb? Very simple 🙂; so much so that If you do not have much experience, with this plant you will surely learn a lot… And without getting upset.
El rhubarb It is a plant that grows in a wide variety of climates, both hot and cold, although it prefers the latter. It is capable of resisting temperatures down to -15ºC; Nevertheless, to have an excellent development it is better that it does not drop below -5ºC in winter or 8ºC in spring.
It is not demanding with the soil either, as long as it is light, well drained, slightly humid and with organic matter. The pH should be low, between 5,4 and 6,5. In those of the limestone type, it usually has problems due to the iron deficiency and manganese, which can be solved with foliar fertilizers rich in these nutrients.
The seeds have to be sown in summer-autumn, from July to October in the Northern Hemisphere, in the seedbed. They are placed at a distance of at least 3cm from each other, covered with substrate and watered. Keeping the soil moist in a protected exposure from direct sun they will germinate after about 15 days. When the seedlings have reached 10cm in height, they can be transplanted in pots or in the garden.
A month after having transferred them to their final place, we can start to pay them with an organic fertilizer, such as guano or chicken manure (If we can get it fresh, we will let it dry in the sun for a week or ten days). A) Yes, next summer we will be able to collect its stems, specifically between May and June in the Northern Hemisphere.
Enjoy your cultivation 🙂.