Rhubarb is a hardy perennial vegetable that has been a staple in home gardens for generations. The tart, red stalks add vibrant color and zingy flavor to everything from pies, jams, and compotes, to chutneys, sauces, and cocktails. While rhubarb is low-maintenance, it does require splitting every 4-6 years to maintain vigor. Here’s a step-by-step guide to splitting rhubarb successfully.
When to Split Rhubarb
The ideal time to split rhubarb is in early spring, just as the buds are beginning to swell This gives the divisions time to establish before hot weather arrives. Late fall is another option, allowing plants to settle in over winter. Avoid splitting rhubarb during summer when stalks are tender.
Split older overcrowded plants showing signs of decline like thin, spindly stems. Healthy robust 4-5 year old plants with 12-15 vigorous stems are prime candidates. Splitting reinvigorates the plant, stimulating new growth.
Gather Necessary Tools
Before splitting rhubarb, gather these necessary tools:
- Gardening fork and shovel for digging
- Sharp knife or garden shear for cutting
- Garden hose for washing
- Container to hold divisions
- Compost and fertilizer for replanting
Clean tools with soap and water to prevent spreading disease. Avoid using rusted, dirty tools that could introduce pathogens.
Digging Up the Parent Plant
- Use a gardening fork to loosen soil around the plant.
- Carefully dig wide around the clump.
- Gently lift the root ball and place on a tarp.
- Wash off excess soil with a hose.
- Tease apart tangled roots so crowns are visible.
Take care not to damage the delicate rhubarb crowns where new buds emerge. Removing soil makes divisions easier to see.
Dividing the Crowns
- Look for plump crowns with 2-3 healthy buds.
- Slice down between crowns using a sharp knife or shear.
- Divide into clumps with 1-3 buds each.
- Remove any rotted or diseased portions.
Each crown division will grow into a new plant. Larger divisions with 2-3 buds establish quickest. Discard any diseased parts to avoid spreading problems.
Preparing Holes for Replanting
Rhubarb prefers nutrient-rich, well-draining soil. Prepare planting holes in advance:
- Loosen soil in new bed to 12-18 inches deep.
- Mix in 1-2 inches of aged compost.
- Dig holes 12-18 inches wide and deep.
- Space holes 2-3 feet apart in all directions.
Amending soil with compost or manure provides nutrients. Wide holes allow root systems room to expand.
Replanting the Divisions
Rhubarb divisions are now ready for replanting:
- Place divisions in holes with buds just below surface.
- Backfill holes, firming soil around roots.
- Water thoroughly.
- Spread mulch around plants to retain moisture.
Ensure buds remain 1-2 inches below soil level to prevent rotting. Water well and mulch after planting.
Caring for New Plants
With proper care, divided rhubarb will flourish:
- Water 1-2 inches per week.
- Weed around plants.
- Fertilize in early spring and midsummer.
- Remove flower stalks to prolong harvest.
- Harvest lightly the first year.
- Split again every 4-6 years.
Avoid overharvesting new plants the first year. Remove flower stalks to encourage more leaf growth. Fertilize to fuel growth and split plants routinely.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
Monitor young rhubarb plants and watch for issues like:
- Rotted crowns from planting too shallow.
- Small leaves and spindly stems indicating under-fertilizing.
- Wilting from inadequate water.
- Insect pests like borers.
- Spreading crown rot or fungal diseases.
Adjust care as needed and rogue out diseased plants to prevent spreading.
Conclusion
Splitting rhubarb is a straightforward process. Follow these tips for successfully dividing plants and caring for new clumps. In just a season or two, your revitalized rhubarb patches will be bursting with vigorous stalks, providing years of robust harvests to enjoy.
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StepsPart
- 1 Plan to divide the rhubarb in early spring or late fall. Early spring makes it easier to see new growth, but it is more stressful for the plant. This means that the new divisions may have a harder time adjusting and taking root. Late fall makes it harder to see new growth, but it is easier on the plant. This means that the plant is more likely to recover.
- Alternatively, you can divide the rhubarb during late winter when it is dormant. Make sure that you do this after the last frost.[1]
- 2 Choose a healthy, vigorously-growing rhubarb. It is best to divide a rhubarb that is 4 to 5 years old. This ensures that has a lot of growth to work with. You can divide younger rhubarb if you really want to, but make sure that it has a lot of vigorous growth. Advertisement
- 3 Avoid rhubarb that looks sick or diseased. If you divide a plant thats already sick or diseased, it wont magically get well and turn into a new, healthy plant. It will just grow into a larger, sicker plant. Instead, choose a rhubarb that looks healthy.
- 4 Ensure that you have clean gardening tools ready. A set of clean spades, shovels, and shears will reduce the chances of your divisions getting infected. Clean your gardening tools with hot water and scrape off any clumps of dirt.[2]
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Splitting, Dividing, Transplanting and Potting Rhubarb – Step by Step
FAQ
What is the best time to divide rhubarb?
The lack of stems is a telltale sign that the rhubarb needs to be divided. You can divide the plant in either the spring or late fall with equal success.Nov 5, 2021
Is it better to cut or pull rhubarb stalks?
Pull (do not cut) the longer stalks. They will pop off of the roots when pulled. Pulling stimulates new growth. Rhubarb is one of the vegetable fruits that can be diced and frozen without blanching. Rhubarb pie is delicious. DO NOT EAT THE LEAVES. They are poisonous.
What should you not plant next to rhubarb?
For example, rhubarb, sunflowers, and thistles are all susceptible to curculios, a weevil that bores into cylindrical stalks to lay its eggs, and should not be planted near one another.
How do you get rhubarb to multiply?
Dividing Rhubarb
Insert a shovel about 6 inches into the ground next to the base of the plant and lift out the entire crown. Some roots will break off and be left in the ground. Using your hands, a hatchet, or machete, break the crown into fist-sized pieces, each with at least one bud and a large root piece.