Edible plant · leafy greens

Rhubarb

Rheum rhabarbarum

Also known asPie plant · Garden rhubarb · Rabarber

beginner cool-season continuous

Use in garden planner

Days to harvest

365–730

Yield / plant

0.5kg

Spacing

100 cm

Daily light

15–25DLI

Environment

The bounded range this crop tolerates.

Temperature

5152535

-30–24°C

45.578.5

5.5–6.8

EC (hydro)

01234

1.4–2 mS/cm

Daily light

5152535

15–25 mol/m²/d

✓Continuous harvest

Climate and zones

USDA zones: 3–8 (winter low around -40°C)
Frost: very hardy (survives deep cold)
Season: cool (spring/fall)

✓Outdoor year-round (in zone)

✓Outdoor in growing season

·Unheated greenhouse / hoop

·Heated greenhouse

·Indoor (heated home)

·Indoor hydroponics + grow lights

Growing systems

Root mass: heavy. Thin-channel systems can't hold this crop.

·Deep water culture (rafts)

·NFT channels

·Vertical / aeroponic tower

·Drip / Dutch buckets

·Media bed (ebb and flow)

·Wicking bed

✓Soil bed

Growing media

Medium	pH effect	Retention	Bacterial surface
Soil-based mix (Potting soil)	varies	high	high

Nutrient demand by stage

NPK ratios are relative weights. EC targets shift through the plant's life.

Stage	N	P	K	EC (mS/cm)
seedling	2	1	1	1
vegetative	2	1	2	1.6

Aquaponics suitability

Not recommended

Fish waste alone doesn't supply enough of what this crop demands. Grows in hybrid systems with supplemental dosing, but expect active management.

Care notes

A perennial for outdoor aquaponics media beds or large containers (30 L). EC 1.4-2.0 mS/cm. pH 5.5-6.8. Temperature: cold-climate crop (USDA zones 3-8); it needs winter freezing for dormancy. Full sun to partial shade (DLI 15-25 mol/m2/day). Plant divisions (pieces of crown with roots) in early spring. Do not harvest any stalks in the first year, letting the plant build root reserves; harvest lightly in year 2, then freely from year 3 for 8-10 weeks in spring before stopping to let the plant store energy. Pull stalks rather than cutting, grasping at the base and twisting. Each mature crown yields 2–5 kg of stalks per season and stays productive for 10-20 years or more, with crowns divided every 5-8 years to keep vigour. Rhubarb is essentially pest and disease free, and its dramatic foliage adds visual interest.

Notable varieties

Cultivar	Type	Days	Notes
Victoria	heirloom	730	1837 British heirloom. Green stalks with pink-red blush. Reliable, productive, the home garden standard. Less intensely colored than Crimson Red but more vigorous.
Crimson Red	open pollinated	730	Deep red stalks. Prettier in pies, slightly less productive than Victoria. The variety with the classic 'rhubarb pie' color.
Canada Red	open pollinated	730	Red stalks, sweet (the lowest oxalic acid of the common varieties). Late season, productive.