GrowSabzHow to grow rhubarb in pots
Also called pie plant, wine plant · Rheum rhabarbarum
ریوند چینی
- ☀️ Sunlight
- 6–8hours daily
- 💧 Water
- 9.0 Levery 3 days, 50 L pot
- 🌡️ Ideal temp
- 10–24°C
- 🪴 Min pot
- 50 L45 cm deep
- 🧺 Harvest
- 365–730days from sowing
- ⚖️ Yield
- 2 kgper 20 L pot
Rhubarb is a long game. From seed it takes 2-3 years before you see a harvest, which is why most growers start from a nursery plant. Container growing is entirely possible, but the container has to be sized for a plant that will live in it for years.
Short answer
Grow rhubarb in a 50 litre container at least 45 cm deep, watering about 1000 ml per 10 litres of soil every 3 days, and keep temperatures between 10 and 24 °C. First harvest comes 365–730 days after sowing.
Where to plant it
What size pot does rhubarb need?
50 litres and 45 cm deep is the realistic minimum for a single plant. Pick a container below to see what changes.
| Container | Minimum size | Depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pot | 50 L | 45 cm | Requires a very large pot with excellent drainage. May not thrive as well as in ground. |
| Grow bag | 50 L | 45 cm | Large grow bags can work, but require frequent watering. |
| Open ground | — | 60 cm | Prefers rich, well-drained soil. Space plants 1-1.5m apart. |
| Raised bed | 60 L | 50 cm | Excellent for providing deep, well-drained soil and good aeration. |
Watering
How often should you water rhubarb?
Every 3 days through the growing season, at about 1000 ml per 10 litres of soil — daily in hot weather, every 5 days when it turns cool. Water in the early morning. Soaker hose or drip irrigation works best.
Too little water
- wilting leaves
- stunted growth
- stalks become stringy
Too much water
- yellowing leaves
- soft crown
- root rot
Avoid: overhead watering (can promote disease); standing water; letting soil dry out completely.
Climate
Can you grow rhubarb where you live?
No hardiness zone needed — compare your actual temperatures against the plant's own limits.
| Ideal range | 10 – 24 °C |
|---|---|
| Survives | -30 – 30 °C |
| Germinates above | 10 °C — best at 18 °C, about 10 days |
| Flowers drop | above 30 °C, or below 5 °C |
| Sunlight | 6–10 hrs/day, best 8 |
| Frost | Low sensitivity |
The flower-drop thresholds matter more than the survival ones. A plant can be perfectly alive at 30 °C and still give you nothing.
How cold is too cold for rhubarb? Check your temperaturesEnter your night low and day high — see if it survives, and if it will cropTimeline
Rhubarb growing stages, day by day
Click any stage to see what's happening. Durations shift with temperature — a warm season runs roughly a quarter faster than a cool one.
Feeding
Fertiliser schedule for rhubarb
Feed on the interval below, changing what you give as the plant shifts from making leaves to making fruit.
| Stage | What to use | Per 10 L | Every |
|---|
How to prepare each feed
Common mistakes
Why rhubarb fails, and how to avoid it
- A container that is too small
Below 50 litres the root run is too shallow. The plant grows, flowers late, and drops whatever it sets because it cannot support the crop.
- Watering too lightly
A daily splash wets the top few centimetres and nothing else. Rhubarb wants about 1000 ml per 10 litres of soil — one deep soak beats three shallow ones.
- Ignoring the flower-drop threshold
Above 30 °C, or below 5 °C, flowers fall before setting. The plant can look perfectly healthy and still give you nothing — shade it through the hottest hours.
- Planting it beside Black Walnut
Black walnut trees release juglone, a chemical toxic to many plants, including rhubarb, causing stunted growth and eventual death.
Companions
What to plant with rhubarb
Good neighbours
Strawberries act as a living mulch, suppressing weeds and retaining soil moisture. They also share similar soil pH preferences.
Rhubarb is believed to deter whiteflies and other pests from brassicas like cabbage, broccoli, and kale.
Emits a strong scent that can deter common pests, potentially protecting rhubarb from certain insects.
Comfrey is a dynamic accumulator, drawing up nutrients from deep in the soil. Its leaves can be chopped and used as a nutrient-rich mulch for rhubarb.
Keep apart from
Black walnut trees release juglone, a chemical toxic to many plants, including rhubarb, causing stunted growth and eventual death.
Sunflowers are allelopathic, meaning they release substances that can inhibit the growth of nearby plants, including rhubarb. They also compete heavily for nutrients.
Corn is a heavy feeder and will compete with rhubarb for essential nutrients and water, potentially stunting rhubarb's growth.
Problems
Rhubarb pests and diseases
Each lists the weather that brings it on, so you know when to start checking rather than reacting once it's established.
Crown Rot humidity >80% · temp 15-25
Soft, mushy decay at the base of the stalks and crown, often accompanied by a foul odor. Caused by fungi in overly wet, poorly drained soil.
Rhubarb Curculio humidity any · temp 18-28
Large, black snout beetles that bore holes into stalks and crowns, causing sap to ooze and stalks to wilt. Look for feeding scars and frass.
Leaf Spot humidity >70% · temp 18-28
Small, circular spots, often reddish-brown with a purple border, appear on leaves. Severe infections can lead to defoliation.
Rhubarb Mosaic Virus humidity any · temp any
Leaves show mottled yellow and green patterns, distortion, and stunted growth. No cure; remove and destroy infected plants.
Slugs Snails humidity >70% · temp 10-20
Irregular holes chewed in leaves, often with silvery slime trails visible. Active in damp, cool conditions, especially at night.
Harvest
When to harvest rhubarb
First picking falls between day 365 and day 730, and the plant then keeps producing for about 60 days. Pick often — what you leave on the plant signals it to stop making more.
How to tell it's ready
- Stalks are 10-15 inches (25-38 cm) long
- Stalks are firm and vibrant in color
How much to expect
Storing it: Refrigerate unwashed stalks in a plastic bag for up to 2-3 weeks, or chop and freeze for longer storage.
Questions
Rhubarb: common questions
How long does rhubarb take to grow?
About 365 days from sowing to the first harvest, with picking usually starting between day 365 and day 730. It then keeps producing for roughly 60 more days. Warm weather pulls that forward; cool weather pushes it back.
What size pot does rhubarb need?
At least 50 litres and 45 cm deep for one plant. A raised bed wants 60 litres of soil and 50 cm of depth.
How often should I water rhubarb?
About 1000 ml per 10 litres of soil, every 3 days in normal weather — daily when it is hot and every 5 days when cool. Water in the early morning.
What temperature does rhubarb need?
It does best between 10 °C and 24 °C and survives from -30 °C to 30 °C. Seed needs soil above 10 °C to germinate, ideally around 18 °C.
Can I grow rhubarb in winter?
It tolerates cold better than most, down to about -30 °C, so a sheltered spot or a cold frame will often carry it through.
How do I know when rhubarb is ready to harvest?
Stalks are 10-15 inches (25-38 cm) long; Stalks are firm and vibrant in color. Once picked: refrigerate unwashed stalks in a plastic bag for up to 2-3 weeks, or chop and freeze for longer storage.
How much does one rhubarb plant produce?
Roughly 2 kg from a 20 litre container, or about 5 kg in open ground. Larger containers give proportionally more, up to a point.