They’re perfect for our harsh winters, and they pop out of the soil in the spring as soon as the snow melts.The rest of my family lives in California, and my dad’s favorite thing in the world is I recently learned that rhubarb does well, even in zone 9-10 if planted in the late fall and grown as a winter annual. Laura also writes novels and holds an MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts.I purchased some Victoria rhubarb seeds this spring. At a minimum, you will be waiting two years for a decent harvest. While the water soaks in, dig a hole the length and depth of your plant pot in your desired planting location.Tip the container so that the plant slides out, and fit it neatly into its new home. A friend of mine runs the farm, and she mentioned that they were going to add rhubarb to their spring CSA, and had just put in 1,000 plants.I said, “Woah, that’s quite the investment!” Thinking they’d just dropped like $10k on rhubarb.She answered, a bit confused, “Not really, about $10 in seed.” Young one-year-old seedling rhubarb (front) next to an established 10+-year-old crown.I was impressed at the cost savings, but still skeptical.
After sowing, I closed all the vents in the greenhouse enclosure to ensure the seeds would benefit from the maximum humidity provided. Ideally the temperatures at this stage will be about 50° - 55° F during the night, and 70° - 75° F during the daytime. I was wondering if you’ve come across anyone who’s grown rhubarb successfully here in Hawaii?
The second will spill everything you need to know about planting them as annuals in Zones 8 and above.One of the best things about rhubarb is that it is a tenacious and long-lived plant, when grown outdoors in cooler zones.While some sources will tell you that the plant produces harvestable stalks for at least five to 10 years, the truth is that it can keep giving you tart-sweet pie filling for much longer than that.Sometimes, it can even outlive us, thriving for over 100 years.This only happens in growing zones that rhubarb loves, though – so if you live in 2a through 7, you’re in luck. Be sure that it’s well amended with a lot of compost and organic matter, and mulch them to suppress weeds and help keep the soil cool.In warmer areas, choose a location where the rhubarb plants will be in shade during the heat of the day. Then, I set them Do the same with yours, or put them in a window that receives at least six hours of sunlight per day.Seven days later, a couple of green shoots began to unfurl.Germination can take anywhere from seven days to two weeks with rhubarb, so don’t fret if yours don’t come up as quickly.By the eighth day, all but two of the seeds had germinated. Let white flowers form. If the conditions are not quite right, the seeds may take longer to germinate than under the more controlled conditions indoors.To grow pie plant from seed as an annual in Zones 8 and above, purchase your packet of seeds and get ready to direct sow outdoors in late August to early October when the soil is still warm, but the heat of the summer has subsided.Alternatively you can sow them indoors, by the end of July at the latest according to the directions outlined above. It’s actually the preferred method for growing the plant as an annual, because bare roots and even crowns are prone to root rot in warm southern climes.No matter where you grow your seeds, and no matter how long you wait until harvest, every bite of that delicious pie will be worth it.Have you ever grown rhubarb from seed? Here, (at left or below), is a link to purchase 6 LIVE 3-5" VICTORIA Rhubarb Plants online at *Amazon.com.The stalks are a deep crimson red with a touch of green on the inside- I don't know how I did without a knife sharpener for so long!Here (below) is the one I have had for the past 10 years! I got about a quart of seed from a single stalk.The important thing here is to make sure you allow the seed to dry completely before storing it. Dig large bushel basket-size holes. When the plants are ready to be planted in your garden, plant the plants The plants should be spaced about 36 - 48 inches apart, and leave about 72 inches between rows if you are planting more than one row of rhubarb. ).Here’s what happened with my seeds. Many commercial rhubarb plants available from nursery catalogs are just seedlings grown out for a year or two. I hope so, but in any case, a single plant produces enough rhubarb seed to plant a whole field, so it won’t take much for me to mail off a bit of seed.Really enjoyed reading about growing rhubarb from seed. This goes to show that some things never change. Harden plants off by taking them outdoors during the day and on warmer nights. The dry, papery seed husks will start to catch the wind and blow away. Rhubarb plants can be prone to honey fungus, crown rot and viruses. Than you. But I got the hang of it after a few tries, and none of the plants perished during this process.After tucking the soil back in around your seedlings, water each of them thoroughly, until the soil around them is moist at least one inch down.