How to grow thick rhubarb stalks

Newly planted rhubarb will initially produce small, spindly stalks during its 2 year establishment period. The stalks of large, old plants may be small and spindly because of overcrowding. Poor plant vigor due to poor cultural practices is another possibility. Early spring is the best time to divide rhubarb plants.

Apply an organic rich compost to the top of the soil or side dress rhubarb plants with a balanced (10-10-10) fertilizer in early spring.

The stalks don’t really grow thicker, they just come out the size they come out, if that makes sense.

Why? The root is old and tough and will foster less than premium stalks. Splitting rhubarb will give new life to the plant. Rhubarb is usually harvested in the cool, early months of spring, however, rhubarb plant division can extend the harvest period into the summer months.

What should you plant with Rhubarb? Good companion plants for rhubarb are kale, turnips, cabbage, broccoli, beans, strawberries, onions, garlic and cauliflowers. You should not plant melons, pumpkins, dock, cucumbers and tomatoes with rhubarb since those plants can do more harm than good to your rhubarb.

The general rule of thumb is to not eat rhubarb from July on. This is for three reasons: 1. Allowing the plant to grow for the rest of the summer will give it the sugars and nutrients needed to get it through the winter and allow it to produce well the next year.

The grounds can be directly mixed into the soil for houseplants. I sprinkle mine in and around flowers and in front of my rhubarb to keep out slugs and snails. Caffeine apparently has an effect on their nervous system.

Harvesting Rhubarb

It’s not recommended to harvest any stems in the first year no matter how proud and excited you are about your new addition. The plant will be weakened and needs a full first year of growth to establish a strong root system.

Rhubarb stems contain much less oxalic acid than the leaves, and little or no anthraquinone. So, they are safe to eat in reasonable quantities, and provide vitamins A and C. But eating too much rhubarb too often might not be a good idea because of possible stress to kidneys and inflammation of joints.

May lower cholesterol levels

Rhubarb stalks are a good source of fiber, which may affect your cholesterol. In one controlled study, men with high levels ate 27 grams of rhubarb-stalk fiber every day for a month. Their total cholesterol dropped by 8% and their LDL (bad) cholesterol by 9% ( 5 ).

Bad for you

Rhubarb contains oxalate, which causes illness or death when large quantities are ingested. Most of rhubarb’s oxalate is in its leaves, so trim them off and discard them, and you‘re safe. There is almost no poison in rhubarb stalks. By the way, it’s not easy to die from eating rhubarb leaves.

Rhubarb. Both rhubarb’s fiber content and natural laxative properties encourage regularity. Each stalk of rhubarb (1.8 ounces or 51 grams) includes 1 gram of fiber, which is mostly bulk-promoting insoluble fiber ( 24 ). Rhubarb also contains a compound called sennoside A, which has a laxative effect in the body.

Nutrition. Rhubarb is rich in antioxidants, particularly anthocyanins (which give it its red color) and proanthocyanidins. These antioxidants have anti-bacterial, anti–inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties, which help protect you from many health-related issues such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Rhubarb is also a great source of vitamin K₁, which is important for blood clotting and bone health. A half cup of cooked rhubarb provides more than one-third of the recommended dietary intake of vitamin K₁, along with two grams of fiber (which helps prevent colorectal cancer), some calcium and vitamin C.