Time to grow rhubarb

The colder months are a great time to be planting out your rhubarb.

You will find it in the nurseries sold as either crowns or small plants.

As rhubarb is a long-term plant, soil preparation is important. Get some mixed manure — chicken, sheep and cow and a bag of organic compost. Dig a hole 30cm deep and place the manure in the bottom of the hole then cover with compost and soil in a 50/50 mix. Some gardeners like to add a handful of Potato Manure E fertiliser in the bottom but I find an organic-based granular fertiliser even better.

Rhubarb is a heavy feeder so you will need to fertilise during spring and summer. Do not harvest stalks for the first six months to allow the crown to develop.

Pull the stalks off rather than cutting them and discard the leaves because they are poisonous. Actually, the leaves are great in your compost heap as they seem to be an activator.

Your plants will bear well for four to five years and then will need dividing and moving to another location to avoid disease. Divide the crown into smaller parts, making sure there are at least two buds and a good piece of root. If you are constantly harvesting the one plant put in two to keep the bush healthy.

In hot climates they like afternoon shade or dappled sun. Down south in cooler zones they will grow in full sun but will need afternoon protection during summer.

And it is not a sin to eat copious amounts of ice-cream with your rhubarb.