(Pieplant) Rhubarb is easy to grow and makes a wonderful addition to strawberry pie and as the base for many jellies, desserts, sauces, and condiments.

PLANTING
Plant crowns in the early spring in a well-prepared, weed-free soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8. Set plants in the ground so that the buds lie 1 inch below the soil surface. You will find this year's buds nestled in a protective layer of last year's leaves. Place plants in the ground with buds topmost. Set plants 3 feet apart in the row. Rows should be spaced 5 feet apart. Cover the buds and tamp down firmly. Do not leave air pockets around the buds or the buds will dry out.

FERTILIZING
Work 1/4 cup per plant of 10-10-10 into the top soil before planting. Next spring and thereafter, use 1 cup per plant of 10-10-10 applied in a circle around the plant. Rhubarb will respond well to liberal amounts of various animal manures.

WEEDING
Make sure that you weed cleanly in the rhubarb planting. There are no chemical weed control methods for rhubarb.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Do not harvest rhubarb the first year. You may harvest lightly (a few stalks per plant) the second year. By the third year you can expect to harvest all stalks that are 1 inch and larger in diameter for a period of 6-8 weeks. Leave the smaller stalks to make food for the crown and next year's production. The harvest season for rhubarb extends from early May to early June. Some harvesting in the fall is acceptable. Harvest stalks by snapping the stalk off at the base. Seeds stalks that appear should be snapped off. After 3-5 years divide plants to maintain petiole or stalk size and production. A rhubarb patch will last 10-15 years with some attention.