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Cake, compote or spritzer - rhubarb is a true all-rounder. We'll show you some tips for cultivating rhubarb.

Rhubarb is a real classic in the kitchen and can be used in many delicious dishes. So it's no wonder that this fruit (which, botanically speaking, actually belongs to the vegetable) is also popular in the garden. But although rhubarb is considered to be easy to care for, there are a few things that must be observed, otherwise eating it can even become a he alth hazard. We'll show you how you can grow and enjoy rhubarb in your own garden.

Tip 10: Share the rhubarb

Rhubarb is best propagated by division. While there is an option to buy rhubarb seeds, they often vary greatly in color and flavor. When the rhubarb plant is divided, it is essentially “cloned”, so you can be sure that the daughter plant will contain the characteristics of the mother plant. To divide the rhubarb, simply prick off individual pieces of the plant with a sharp spade in autumn or winter. It is important that the new pieces have at least two to three leaf bases. The new plants should not be harvested in the first year so that they have enough time to develop well in their new location.

Young rhubarb plants need time to develop

Tip 9: Sun and soil

Rhubarb likes it warm and sunny. If you want an early harvest, you should therefore choose a location that offers a lot of sun and protection from cold winds, especially in spring. Post-harvest conditions are less important for rhubarb, which makes it an ideal vegetable under fruit trees. When choosing the location, however, you should keep in mind that the rhubarb multiplies rapidly and accordingly quickly takes up a large space. Rhubarb prefers deep, well-drained soil. On the other hand, he does not like acidic soils that are not regularly whitewashed.

Rhubarb takes up a lot of ground space

Tip 8: Preparation is a must

If you are planting rhubarb for the first time, you should start preparing early. The place where the plant will later stand shouldbe dug deep. After that, you should work compost and horn shavings into the soil and let it sit for a while (about a week). When planting, potting soil, fertilizer and horn shavings can be poured into the individual planting holes to make it easier for the new plants to get started. The Plantura organic universal fertilizer, for example, is ideally suited for this. When preparing the soil, you should also keep in mind the rapid growth of the rhubarb. Each plant needs about one square meter of space when fully grown, which should also be prepared for it.

The bed should be dug up before planting rhubarb

Tip 7: Food is a must

Rhubarb can't get enough of nutrients and compost. However, under no circumstances should the compost or fertilizer be worked into the soil, as the rhubarb roots very shallowly underground and could be injured as a result. Therefore, a good supply of nutrients to the bed before planting the young plants is particularly important. If the rhubarb is already fully grown, you can still support it. Compost, horse manure or plant manure applied to the surface of the soil supply the plant with new nutrients. When it comes to watering, the rhubarb is actually quite undemanding and likes it neither too wet nor too dry. Only in summer should you use the watering can more often, after all, a lot of water evaporates over the large leaves.

The most important thing is to provide the soil with nutrients before planting the seedlings

Tip 6: Under the covers

You've been waiting all winter for fresh rhubarb from your own garden and can't wait? With a few little tricks, you can move the rhubarb harvest time up to three weeks forward. To do this, cover the rhubarb with a fleece during the last days of winter. This stores the heat (similar to a greenhouse) and allows the plants to mature faster. A large clay pot or a black bucket that is placed over the plants also help the plant with this principle. Another trick is watering with warm water. This warms the soil and roots and the rhubarb will ripen faster.

A large clay pot makes the rhubarb plant ripen faster

Tip 5: Bully Oxalic Acid

The rhubarb harvest time is easy to remember, as it coincides with the harvest time of the equally popular asparagus. Depending on the weather, the rhubarb ripens between the beginning and end of April. awayOn St. John's Day (June 24th) no more rhubarb should be picked. The reason is the oxalic acid. This accumulates in the stems over time and can have a negative effect on he alth if the dose is too high. In addition, the plants can use a breather from June onwards. The harvest stop allows them to gather new strength and absorb nutrients. They will have an even richer harvest next year. By the way, rhubarb stalks should not be cut or torn, but separated from the plant with a twisting motion.

The stalks should be harvested with a twisting motion

Tip 4: Be careful toxic

Rhubarb should also be given more attention in the kitchen. Under no circumstances should the cut plant be stored or even processed in aluminum containers. The use of aluminum foil should also be avoided in any case. The oxalic acid, which ensures that the rhubarb should only be harvested by June 24th, can dissolve substances from the aluminum. These then get into the human body through the food and can lead to symptoms of poisoning. Instead, you should always use plastic or porcelain when processing rhubarb.

When processing rhubarb, it is best to use porcelain or plastic

Tip 3: Where to put the rhubarb?

The kitchen is overflowing with rhubarb and you're already fed up with it? No problem, rhubarb is not only delicious fresh - it can also be frozen without any problems. Simply peel the stems, cut into pieces and put in the freezer. You can already create a small emergency supply for the rhubarb-less seasons. But the rhubarb can also be processed well in jams and stored for a long time. A little tip: Red-stemmed varieties contain less acid and therefore taste a little sweeter. You can also enjoy them with the skin on - so you save yourself the hassle of peeling.

You don't have to peel the rhubarb

Tip 2: Tree change you

Rhubarb is allowed to travel once every seven years. In the old beds, the soil nutrients are often scarce and can only be replaced with fertilizer with difficulty. The result: the rhubarb harvest is becoming increasingly scarce. But if you treat your plants to a new location every seven years, the harvest remains stable and the soil is protected. Similar to planting new plants, the newThe bed should be dug up thoroughly and enough compost added so that the plants can absorb nutrients from their new home for as long as possible. After that, the plants can be cut out of their new bed and planted in their new home.

One rhubarb plant should be transplanted every seven years

Tip 1: Winter Break

Summer is over, winter is coming. And what about the rhubarb in the garden? Basically, the hardy plant makes it through the cold season without help. The only important thing is not to cut the leaves radically before winter, as the plant needs its strength over the winter. However, there is one exception: If the young rhubarb seedlings were only planted in autumn, they are often not strong enough for the winter. You can protect the small plants from the freezing temperatures with a layer of leaves, straw or brushwood or a clay pot. So they survive the winter well. Incidentally, clay pots are also popular in England for forcing rhubarb. The clay pots store the first rays of sunshine in the new gardening season and allow the plants to sprout earlier. Since no light gets inside, the rhubarb stalks are very pale and have a mild taste.

Clay pots are also suitable for overwintering rhubarb

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Vegetables