Chasing the Elusive California Rhubarb

Rhubarb plant with flowerhead forming.
Image via Wikipedia

Last month I noticed on Facebook that a friend, who had recently moved to California, was looking for Rhubarb plants. I promptly dug up a box full and sent them off, never thinking to check if they would actually grow there. 

Remembering that I had just read a delightful gardening exploits article by new writer, Denise Durrett, from California, I asked her if she would consider writing as a guest on Jetta Broom, about growing rhubarb, being from California and all. She joyfully took on the project and sent me the following article. I know you will enjoy this piece as much as I did....

Chasing the Elusive California Rhubarb

Guest Blogger: Denise Durrett

South Pasadena, California

A few weeks ago I got an email from Marlene. She had read an article I wrote for South Pasadena Patch entitled, “Drinking With Slugs: How One Woman Lost Her Sanity and Gained a Garden”. In her email she asked if I would be willing to do a story about growing rhubarb in California. I said I would be very happy to, but there was one tiny problem. I’ve never grown rhubarb! I decided not to let this stop me and turned to my trusty gardening sources- my mom and mom-in-law, who between the two of them have more California gardening experience than anyone I know.

The Best Sources Weigh In on Rhubarb

I started with my mom, since I distinctly remembered rhubarb plants somewhere in my distant past. “Rhubarb? Oh yes, it was really easy to grow, no problem”, said Mom. Ok, that was easy. I moved on to my mother-in-law. “I had a terrible time with rhubarb”, she said. “Tried everything! Dug up the plants for winter, left them in for winter, divided them, chilled them in the refrigerator, left them alone. Nothing worked!” Huh. This was getting complicated. 

When All Else Fails, Read the Directions

I moved on to my copy of “Edible Gardening for California, by Jennifer Beaver and Alison Beck.”. According to the authors, rhubarb can indeed be grown in California. The book says it does best by the coast (where my mom-in-law couldn’t grow it!) and not so well inland (where my mom did grow it). And it can take between two and three years to produce a crop! No wonder I’ve never grown it- I don’t have the attention span for that. I’m more of an instant gratification gardener. My mom hadn’t mentioned the long wait for rhubarb though, so I checked back in with her.

Stalking the Secret to Growing Rhubarb

“I got rhubarb the second year. Of course I started with seedlings from the nursery instead of seeds.” Good information to know. Glad I asked! I decided that the perfect ending to this piece would be to include my mom’s recipe for strawberry-rhubarb pie, so I asked her if she would impart this tidbit of family history to me. She laughed and said, “It’s on the back of the can!” Can? What can? Now I was really confused. “Mom, didn’t you just tell me you successfully grew rhubarb?” “Well, yes I did grow it. But then I read somewhere that parts of it are poisonous , so I threw it out and bought canned rhubarb.” Another bit of nostalgia shot down in flames…

...And the Result Is...

So, to answer the question, “Can rhubarb be grown in California?” my answer is yes… um…no… um... maybe…  um… I don’t know - let me get back to you in two to three years!

PS

Here are some tips for actually growing rhubarb in California:

• Plant in fall if you live in a very warm area, otherwise winter or early spring is ok.
• If you start from nursery plants, you can harvest the second year. Plants from seed can take three years or more.
• Remove flowers as you see them- they decrease production of stems.
• Rhubarb does best in full sun, or partial shade in really hot areas.
• Harvest stems by pulling them away from the base of the plant, but don't remove more than half of the stems each year.

Thanks for inviting me to your blog!!

Denise

Note: Rhubarb requires a wintering over at a temperature of 40F or less. Some parts of 

California easily meet this requirement. Check with your local ag agent

for more information.

Denise Durrett has lived in South Pasadena, California for over 35 years. She has four children, four cats, a puppy, a home daycare and a very patient husband! Denise is an avid gardener and back yard birdwatcher. Her favorite activity is picking berries and beans in the back yard with her children. Denise has recently put her love of love and talent for writing a good tale into enjoyable articles for the web. You can view one of her recent articles on the South Pasadena Patch - Drinking with Slugs: How One Woman Lost her Sanity and Gained a Garden

Related articles

• Telegraph Gardenshop: Recommended rhubarb (telegraph.co.uk)
• Almost Time To Transplant Our Rhubarb And Other Things (hbb2obm.com)