Garden Rhubarb Mixed

What Garden Rhubarb Mixed is

Garden Rhubarb Mixed (Rheum rhabarbarum) is a perennial vegetable of the knotweed family (Polygonaceae). Rhubarb is an attractive, hardy perennial with large leaves and pink, red or greenish leaf stalks that are used as a dessert.

The stalks are usually harvested in spring, but plants can be covered with pots to obtain an early crop of stalks in late winter.

The flavour of rhubarb varies depending on the age of the stalks. Rhubarb is extremely easy to grow, and the plants give good crops for many years.

Rhubarb is a perennial with sour, juicy stalks for compotes, jams and pies. One plant yields a harvest for years.

Key features

• Measured germination rate of the batch: 90%
• Seeds per packet: 17–23 pcs (0.3 g)
• Seed origin: Poland
• Sowing: March – June; seedlings
• Harvest: June – October
• Position: sun to partial shade

When to sow Garden Rhubarb Mixed

Garden Rhubarb Mixed seeds are sown in March – June. Harvest in June – October. The months are a guide for a temperate climate — in warmer areas sow 1–2 weeks earlier, in cooler or upland areas, later.

How to sow and grow Garden Rhubarb Mixed

• Sowing method: seedlings
• Depth: 1–2 cm
• Spacing: 90–100 cm
• Germination: 10–20 days at 15–20 °C
• Position: sun to partial shade

Rhubarb needs an open, sunny position with moist, well-drained soil. You can sow seeds in March or April indoors or in the ground. Prepare your sowing area by weeding and then raking the soil to a fine texture. Sow seeds 2.5 cm deep, then thin the seedlings to 15 cm. apart, choosing the most vigorous plants. Protect seedlings and young plants from slugs. If sowing indoors, use small pots filled with seed compost. Water them well. Transplant the young rhubarb plants to their final position in autumn or the following spring. Water during prolonged dry spells in summer. Growth will slow and may even stop if conditions are too hot and dry. Plants in containers need regular watering throughout the growing season, as they dry out much more easily. To encourage growth, apply fertiliser in spring or summer.

Plant in rich, moist soil; mulch with compost every year.

Harvest and use

The stalks are harvested from the second year, in April–June. The leaves are poisonous — only the stalks are eaten.

Frequently asked questions

When should Garden Rhubarb Mixed be sown?

The recommended months for sowing are March – June. Sowing method: seedlings.

How many seeds are in the packet?

The packet contains 17–23 seeds, pack size 0.3 g.

What is the germination rate of the seeds?

The measured germination rate of this batch is 90%. The test was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions; in the field, emergence depends on soil, temperature and moisture.

Can rhubarb leaves be eaten?

No — they contain oxalic acid and are poisonous. Only the stalks are eaten.