Rhubarb

Rhubarb is a robust perennial and overwinters in the bed without protection; the above-ground growth dies back and sprouts anew in spring, so cut back old material only before new growth, not already in autumn. Cover young plants in their first year loosely with leaves or brushwood, and stand containers sheltered against a house wall on wood and pack them in fleece, because the roots in a pot are more frost-sensitive.

The most reliable way to propagate rhubarb is by root division; this is the recommended method if you want to keep the variety true. Dig up the rootstock in autumn as soon as the leaves begin to yellow (roughly the end of September to October), or alternatively in early spring before new growth (March). Divide it with a sharp spade or digging fork into roughly fist-sized pieces; each piece needs at least one strong shoot tip (bud). Plant the pieces in a new site so that the bud lies just below the surface or at soil level: planted too deep, the crown rots; too high, it dries out. Leave plenty of space to the neighbouring plant, as rhubarb grows big and broad (about 80 to 100 cm, but at least 50 cm). In the first year after division you harvest nothing yet, so that the plant can root in; from the second year you can gently take the first stalks.

Sowing from seed is a second option, for example if you want to try new varieties or have no mother plant to hand. Sow in February/March in seed pots on a bright windowsill, or from April to June directly outdoors. Cover the seeds with about 0.5 to 1 cm of soil (contrary to a common claim, rhubarb is not clearly a light-germinating seed; sources contradict each other, and the seed germinates reliably when lightly covered). The germination temperature is about 18 to 20 °C, and germination takes roughly two to three weeks. Note: plants raised from seed often differ from the parent plant in colour, habit and flavour, and two to three years pass until the first harvest. Cuttings are considered unreliable with rhubarb and are not recommended.