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RHUBARB GUIDES

container rhubarb growing in its early stages

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Rhubarb is a repeated vegetable that is well suited to container growing in the UK climate .

grow for its scrumptious and colourful stem , it is well-heeled to care for and will provide a harvestable crop for many years to come .

rhubarb growing in small pots of varying sizes

Can You Grow Rhubarb In Pots?

Rhubarb is typically grown in the ground and is a staple of allocation and vegetable patch across the country .

However , if space is an issue , it can grow well in a declamatory pot or container as long it is well irrigate , as pots tend to dry out more chop-chop , especially during the warm month .

A benefit of growing rhubarb in a container is that it can be moved to a spot where it will welcome full sun during the growing time of year and out of sight when it is dormant .

young rhubarb ‘champagne’ variety growing from a small plastic container, with a garden in the background

Along with if necessary , providing some aegis from late hoar , which even though pieplant is intrepid , can damage the young stalks .

Choosing Your Container

Rhubarb is a large plant life and can mature up to an eventual sizing of H1 m x W1 m producing a abstruse and wide beginning system as it matures .

When choosing a container to grow rhubarb in , it call for to be at least 50 cm full and rich and preferably larger for oblige the size of it of the plant .

The material of the container is not as important as its sizing .

large rhubarb foliage growing out of a large garden plant pot

Terracotta is often choose for aesthetic reasons , although it can be prone to ice damage .

Wine or whisky half - barrels are often used for growing rhubarb due to their large size and will often last longer than the plant .

Whatever container is chosen , rhubarb thrives in well - drained land , so any quite a little or plantation owner must have adequate drainage holes present for any excess water to enfeeble off freely .

stems of potted rhubarb ready for harvesting

Choosing Compost

Rhubarb works are athirst feeders and select the ripe compost is of import to give them the nutrient they require to produce expert size stem to glean .

That being tell , rhubarb is comparatively unfussy about where it is grow and can stomach almost any soil , as long as it is not waterlogged which can lead to the crowns rotting .

When growing rhubarb in a container , a racy land - free-base compost such as John Innes no . 3 with some well - rotted manure added will help promote a openhanded crop of stems to reap .

pouring fertiliser into a watering can with rhubarb foliage in the background

Potting Up Rhubarb

Rhubarb can either be bought as abeyant flora in the winter or when in foliage from natural spring forwards and can be planted on leverage either style .

inactive plant are best imbed straight off , unless the dirt is rooted or waterlogged and temperature are below freeze .

Actively growing plants can be plant at any prison term , although consider avoid planting them out during the height of the summer , when the plants may fight .

watering can shown pouring water into a container-grown rhubarb plant

To plant up a dormant crown , occupy the chosen container with the prepared soil mix and plant the crown so that the growing point is just below or at the desired soil point .

Gently truehearted in the soil around the top and H2O soundly to ward off any air pockets .

To pot up an actively growing industrial plant , the method is the same except that the works should be planted at the same profoundness it antecedently was .

Advice on space between rhubarb plants when grown in the ground is generally from 70 centimetre to 1 m , as the plants can spring up quite large .

When grown in containers it is generally recommended that one industrial plant per heap is enough , unless you have a large provoke bed that could accommodate several industrial plant at the spatial arrangement recommended for the variety .

Potted Rhubarb Care

Looking after pieplant grown in containers is not unalike from when they are grow in the soil .

However , the availableness of moisture and nutrient may be limited and should be supplemented when grown in a pot .

Rhubarb like moist but not waterlogged dirt , you may help avoid top rot by institute the crest at soil layer and not mulch over the treetop .

flora ask to be watered regularly , especially during the summertime calendar month when the rhubarb plant is actively growing .

As previously mentioned , rhubarb requires prolific territory to get a good craw .

As with ground - grown plants , container - grown rhubarb will benefit from an yearly mulch of well - rot manure in bounce , which will aid feed the plant life and keep up wet over the lovesome month .

Along with mulching , a general - function fertilizer can be apply in fountain when the plant is growing to give it a boost for the grow season forwards .

Forcing Rhubarb In Pots

squeeze rhubarb is basically the process of excluding any light from the flora , in rules of order for it to produce an to begin with , sweeter and softer crop of stalks .

Container - grown rhubarb can be forced as if it is grown in the ground .

However , once forced , the flora need a break from being harvest for the ease of the summertime and even the next class .

So , unless you have multiple rhubarb plants to rotate forcing between , it may not be worth it .