Best time to plant rhubarb in Australia
Rheum rhabarbarum
Also called culinary rhubarb
Only the fleshy leaf stalks of rhubarb are used as food, and they are cooked first. The big triangular leaves are poisonous and should not be eaten. This herbaceous perennial springs from stout, short rhizomes and carries large sprays of small flowers coloured from rose-red to greenish-white.
On a shared plot: stays for years
Holds its spot for years. Check your garden's rules and how long your plot licence runs.
When to sow
| Zone | Months | How well checked |
|---|---|---|
| Cool | Aug to Dec | Not yet checked against a local guide |
| Temperate | Jul to Jan | Not yet checked against a local guide |
| Subtropical | Jun to Mar | Broadly matches local guides, with some differences |
| Tropical | Jun to Sep | Not yet checked against a local guide |
| Arid | Aug to Nov | Broadly matches local guides, with some differences |
Your local conditions can shift any months shown here, so treat them as a guide.
Growing details
- How to start
- Sow directly or raise seedlings
- Sowing depth
- 12mm
- Plant spacing
- 75cm
- Row spacing
- 92cm
- Height
- 75cm
- Germination
- 7-14 days at 20-23°C
- Time to harvest
- 365 days
- Frost
- Hardy, takes a light frost
- Sun
- Full sun
- Life cycle
- perennial
These are typical figures, and varieties differ. Your seed packet takes priority.