Growing Rhubarb

Rhubarb is the vibrantly coloured, tart/sour fruit that was something your grandmother would cook up and serve on vanilla ice-cream! Over the years it has become a more popular gourmet vegetable for Kiwis. Rhubarb can be used in so many ways, not just your traditional add sugar, cook it down and add to ice cream. Recipes featuring Rhubarb are much more exciting - recipes such as apple and rhubarb crumble, rhubarb and boysenberry brioche, toffee crusted rhubarb pudding and even rhubarb champagne! Check out 5aday.co.nz for recipe inspiration.

Rhubarb loves the sun, with a rich, moist soil base - so be sure to pick a sunny spot with an adequate well-drained soil base with generous amounts of compost. Rhubarb can withstand drought but once temperatures reach above 32, it will become dormant. Allow plenty of space between plants and when harvesting make sure not to cut the stalks but snap off at ground level once firm.

McGregor's Rhubarb Seed Glaskins Perpetual
This is the perfect rhubarb for tarts pies, jams and wines. A fantastic all-purpose variety stems producing large crops every year. An old favourite and a must for every garden.

How to Sow
Choose a warm, well drained site in full sun. Sow these seeds in trays or pots for subsequent transplanting or, after frosts, sow direct where to grow in a well prepared seedbed. Sprinkle seeds 5cm apart to a depth of 1cm. Later, transplant to 100cm apart. Seedbed. Sow seeds 5cm apart, in rows 50cm apart and to a depth of 2mm.

Care for seedling
Keep seedbed or trays evenly moist during the germination period of 21-35 days. Apply McGregor’s VegeMax 2 weeks after germination for healthier plants and a maximum crop. Protect your vege garden from snails and slugs with McGregor’s Snail and Slug bait and from White Butterfly with McGregor’s Derris Dust.

Hints & Tips
Glaskins Perpetual is a perennial. It produces long tender stems in spring and summer. It will die back for winter and sprouts up again in spring! Give the plants a sunny location with plenty of light and you will be rewarded with bright red stems.