HOW TO GROW RHUBARB IN POTS

Rhubarb container - http://blog.theenduringgardener.com/

You can't beat the texture and flavour of freshly picked and cooked rhubarb, but what do you do if you can only source supermarket produce? Well, despite the particularly large size of a rhubarb plant it is possible to grow rhubarb in pots, just so long as you have a large enough container and the suitable space to accommodate it. Rhubarb crowns and pot grown plants will be available in all good plant retailers in the spring.

Rhubarb pot - http://www.spadespatula.com/

As you would expect by the size of the leaves, rhubarb plants have large root systems so when it comes to choosing your container, you will need one which is at least 50 cm deep and can hold at least 40 litres of compost otherwise you won't be able to produce a worthwhile crop. Remember that the larger the pot, the larger the rhubarb plant can grow, and therefore the bigger the crop produced.

Rhubarb plants thrive in direct sunlight so when positioning your container place it where it will receive as much sun as possible. Also you will need enough space to accommodate a plant that can grow to approximately 1.5 metres in diameter.

Tip 1. Place the container in its permanent position before filling with compost. Otherwise it may be too heavy to move around afterwards.

Tip 2. Makes sure that the container has been properly cleaned and that sufficient drainage holes have been provided before filling with compost.

Rhubarb crop

Fill the bottom inch with horticultural grit to prevent the compost washing out when watering. You may need to cover drainage holes with pieces of broken pots or suchlike if the grit is just going to fall through the holes.

Fill the bottom half of the container with a 50:50 mix of blended farm manure and soil based compost such as John Innes 'No 3'. Then fill near to the top with just soil-based compost.

If you are planting bare-root rhubarb crowns then plant them 1 to 3 inches beneath the compost surface. If you are not sure which way is up, the top of the crown should display swollen buds. Plant pot grown rhubarb to the same soil level as it is in the pot. Do not disturb the roots prior to planting.

Once planted, water in. Allow the top few inches of compost to dry off before planting again.

Remove rhubarb flowers as soon as they appear as these will redirect the plant's energy into seed production instead of new foliage. Feed with a top dressing of general purpose fertiliser each spring to give the plant a pre-season boost.

For related articles click onto the following links:
HOW TO GROW RHUBARB
HOW TO GROW RHUBARB FROM SEED
HOW TO GROW RHUBARB IN POTS
WHEN DO YOU PICK RHUBARB?