How to Plant Rhubarb

Planting rhubarb isn’t difficult once you get the hang of it. These steps will allow you to get off to a quick start when it comes to planting rhubarb.

Step 1 – Preparing the Soil

You want the soil to be well drained and slightly acidic with a pH between 6 and 7. High organic matter content in the soil is also a good idea, and this is something that can be accomplished by using fertilizer containing organic matter and even fungi to help process the content.

Step 2 – Acquire Rhubarb Crowns

There are two methods for you to get rhubarb crowns. The first method involves digging up the plants and dividing their root balls. This is not recommended for beginning gardeners, because you can easily buy rhubarb crowns from your local nursery.

Step 3 – Dig Holes

Under ideal circumstances, you’d like the crowns to be placed so that the bottom of the crown rests approximately 2 inches below ground level for the soil. You should dig the holes with that depth in mind. When it comes to spacing the rhubarbs, make sure that you place the holes about 4 feet apart from each othe,r to accommodate growth. If you're going to create multiple rows of the plant, make sure that the rows are around 3 feet apart.

Step 4 – Plant Rhubarb

Once you have dug the holes, place the crown of the rhubarb as flat as possible against the bottom of the hole. Fill in the soil and then gently tap down with the spade in order to firm up the hole. Repeat the process with the entire crop of rhubarb plants.

Step 5 – Mulch Plants

Mulch the plants immediately after planting them, in order to make sure that competition from weeds does not appear. This type of competition can end up killing the plants quickly, as rhubarb does not do well against weeds.

Step 6 – Add Fertilizer

This step is optional, but continuing with courses of organic fertilizer (after what was used to prepare the soil) is an option.

Step 7 – Water

Make sure that you water the rhubarb plants immediately after planting. Rhubarb is one plant that you can water regularly if you are growing it to be a perennial. In that particular circumstance, it can never get enough water. If you are growing it to be an annual, you can skip this step and be more selective with your watering.