How to Care for a Rhubarb Plant

Although rhubarb does not require as much care as other plants, if you provide proper care, your plant will produce better stalks for making rhubarb pies, cakes and other fine deserts. For a family, three rhubarb plants will provide all of the rhubarb you need. The rhubarb will grow every year if you care for the plant and soil correctly.

Things You'll Need

• Garden compost
• Grow More fertilizer

Instructions

1. Add garden compost to the soil, but don't place it directly next to the plant. Place a thin layer around the plant about 1 or 2 inches away from the plant. Do this when the leaves have died on the plant--usually just after a frost.

2. Add Grow More fertilizer around the plant in February. This gives the fertilizer enough time to work through the soil. Even if it is a colder winter day, add the fertilizer.

3. Water, as needed. The rhubarb does well with just rainwater, but you will need to water the soil well during a dry spring or summer.

4. Remove weeds from around the plant as they start to grow. When the rhubarb plant starts to grow flowers in the spring, cut off the flower heads. If you don't remove the flowers and they are allowed to grow, the plant will never be a strong producing plant again.

5. Divide a five or six-year-old plant into smaller plants. This will give you more rhubarb in the future.

References

• Rhubarb Plant Care