Kem Ormond’s vegetable garden: How to grow rhubarb, a handy and confusing vegetable

A lovely basket of rhubarb from Kem Ormond's garden. Photo / Phil Thomsen

Kem Ormond is a features writer for The Country. She’s also a keen gardener. This week, she’s chatting about rhubarb and what a handy vegetable it is.

OPINION

Rhubarb is an unusual vegetable, although I always tend to think of it as a fruit because it is sweet.

It is usually used as part of a dessert, and I can’t imagine serving it up with my peas or carrots.

I have a strange association with rhubarb as sometimes I really enjoy it and other times I am not fussed. Not sure what that is all about.

The most important thing you must know is that the leaves of rhubarb are poisonous, and you only eat the stalk.

Some people compost the leaves, but I prefer not to.

I think that comes from rural living and always having horses around and being aware they were always after anything fresh and green!

It takes about a year for a rhubarb plant to develop, this is because it needs that time to form a good root system.

It likes to be planted in a warm sunny spot that has been prepared with plenty of compost and sheep pellets, and it needs well-draining soil.

The best time for planting is autumn through to spring and to keep the plant watered through the hotter months.

Rhubarb is pretty hardy and is pretty tolerant of cold, frost, wind and heat.

Once established it more-or-less does its own thing and only really needs the odd bit of fertilising.

Structurally, it looks quite spectacular in the garden with its mass of leaves and pinkish stalks.

It is something that seems to get shared around as it doesn’t seem to mind being divided.

To do this the best way is to slice off a section of the crown of the plant with a sharp vegetable knife or a spade.

I would have no idea what the name of my rhubarb plant is, but some of the more popular varieties are Ruby Tart, Winter Harvest, Victoria and Glaskin’s Perpetual.

You can grow rhubarb from seed, but it is far easier and quicker to get a clump from a friend.

After a year your rhubarb will be ready to pick.

The stalks need to be nice and thick but not too large as they can tend to get a bit woody.

I usually twist the stalks and break them off close to the base or else cut them with a sharp knife.

If you have an overrun of rhubarb, it will freeze well for up to three months.

When it comes to using your rhubarb, it can be stewed, added to muffins, baked in cakes, and goes well with ginger.

It is great in a chutney, a sweet tart, or make a compote and slather it onto toast with ricotta cheese.

You could also make rhubarb wine.

There are endless ways to use this fruit ... whoops, should I say vegetable?