Rhubarb crumble and custard…. Rhubarb with ice cream…. Rhubarb with yogurt… Rhubard with porridge for breakfast…

These are just some of the reason I love growing my own rhubarb. It’s so versatile and delicious. That zingy flavour tastes great.

Need a dessert because you got friends coming around for dinner? Get some rhubarb out of the freezer.

And the best bit?

Rhubarb is simple to grow.

You buy rhubarb as crowns. You want to choose a sunny spot, out of the wind, and free from frosts.

The crowns like well-drained soil. Plant them so the crown is just above soil level. If you cover the top of the crown then it will rot.

They like plenty of well-rotted compost. Keep the crowns free of weeds by mulching the area around them.  Use lawn cuttings or another natural mulch.

Feed the rhubarb in early spring. I like to feed them with blood and bone meal. Also with chicken pellets.

Rhubarb needs plenty of water. So in dry spells make sure you water them well.

In the first year wait until the latter part of the growing season before picking any stems. Never over pick. The crown is still establishing itself.

You can extend their growing season by ‘forcing’ them. You do this by placing a container or box around them in late winter. Make sure no light gets through. Your rhubarb will respond. Once the stems hit the top of the container you can remove it.

Rhubarb can be picked until autumn. But then leave the last few stems on the plant and allow them to die back.

Popular rhubarb varieties are;

Kangarhu… German Wine… Cherry Red…. Canadian Red….Hardy Tarty… Hawkes Champagne…Timperley Early…. Crimson Red…

We find we get aphids on our rhubarb. So I spray the plants with soapy water. A tablespoon of washing up liquid in 1l of water. But I do this sparingly because I notice other insects feed on the aphids.