Rhubarb Crowns

Fresh homegrown rhubarb for those pies

1 product

Rhubarb Crowns - Grow Organic

Rhubarb, with its vibrant tartness and culinary versatility, is a beloved perennial that has delighted gardeners and chefs for generations. Typically planted in early spring, rhubarb thrives throughout the growing season, producing robust stalks perfect for pies, jams, and sauces. Known for its edible stalks and ornamental appeal, rhubarb is a resilient and rewarding addition to any garden. For those ready to grow their own, high-quality organic rhubarb crowns are the ideal starting point. Explore our selection of rhubarb crowns for sale and enjoy both the delicious and decorative benefits of this garden favorite.

Understanding Rhubarb:

Rhubarb's Charm: Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) is renowned for its unique charm, courtesy of its tart and tangy stalks. While the leaves are not edible due to their oxalic acid content, the stalks are the prized part of this perennial plant, celebrated for their culinary potential.

Rhubarb Stalks:

The essence of rhubarb lies in its edible stalks, which boast a delightful tartness. These stalks are the stars of pies, jams, sauces, and various recipes, offering a distinctive flavor that brightens up sweet and savory dishes.

Optimal Soil:

Rhubarb thrives in well-drained soil, and the quality of the soil is paramount for healthy root growth and overall plant vitality. Ensuring proper soil drainage is crucial to prevent waterlogged roots and other potential issues.

Planting and Growth:

Ideal Conditions:

  • Sunlight: Rhubarb flourishes in full sun, which is essential for robust stalk development and healthy plant growth.
  • Soil Quality: Well-drained soil enriched with organic matter provides the foundation for vigorous rhubarb growth, ensuring the plant receives essential nutrients and moisture.

Planting Process:

  • Location Choice: When selecting a location for your rhubarb crowns, prioritize areas with proper sunlight and soil drainage. Adequate sun exposure is crucial for successful cultivation.
  • Planting Depth: To ensure the rhubarb crowns establish themselves effectively, plant them just below the soil surface.
  • Spacing: Providing adequate spacing between rhubarb plants encourages healthy growth and prevents overcrowding, which can lead to disease and reduced vitality.

Care and Maintenance:

Watering:

  • Consistent Moisture: Rhubarb plants require consistent moisture levels to thrive. Ensure the soil remains evenly moist, avoiding drought stress and waterlogging, which can harm the plant's health.

Fertilization:

  • Spring Nourishment: To support robust growth, apply a balanced fertilizer in the spring, providing the essential nutrients that rhubarb needs to flourish.

Weed Control:

  • Maintaining Clear Surroundings: Keeping the area around rhubarb plants free from weeds is crucial, as weeds can compete for nutrients and hinder healthy growth.

Harvesting and Care:

Harvesting Rhubarb:

  • Harvesting Mature Stalks: When the rhubarb stalks reach maturity, gently pull or cut them at the base. Harvesting is typically done in the spring and early summer.
  • Allowing Young Stalks: To sustain the plant's health and vitality, allow young stalks to continue growing. Overharvesting can weaken the plant.

Pruning:

  • Flower Management: Promptly remove flower stalks as they appear. This practice redirects the plant's energy away from flowering and towards producing robust stalks.

Winter Preparations:

Mulching:

  • Protective Mulch: In preparation for winter, apply organic mulch around rhubarb plants. This protective layer insulates the crowns and helps regulate soil temperature during colder months.
  • Winter Shielding: Cover rhubarb crowns with organic material, such as straw or leaves, to guard against frost and harsh winter conditions, ensuring their well-being during the dormant period.

Organic rhubarb crowns, known for their tart and tangy stalks, are a flavorful and resilient addition to any garden and kitchen. Planted in early spring, each rhubarb crown establishes quickly and thrives throughout the growing season, producing vibrant stalks perfect for pies, jams, sauces, and more. To ensure a successful harvest, it's important to understand the plant’s unique needs and follow proper care and planting techniques. Whether you're enjoying its bold flavor in culinary creations or appreciating its ornamental beauty, rhubarb is a rewarding perennial. Explore our selection of rhubarb crowns for sale and start growing your own delicious patch today.

For more information, enjoy our rhubarb growing guide.

FAQs: Annie's Perennials

What are perennial plants?

Perennial plants live for more than two growing seasons. If properly cared for, they will return year after year with consistent bloom times to add color and diversity to your garden.

What is the difference between annuals and perennials?

The key difference between annuals and perennials is their lifespan. Annuals live for one growing season, although some of our annual plants do re-seed, thereby prolonging their benefits past a single season. Perennial plants and perennial flowers persist for several years, returning year after year, every growing season. Another difference is that true annuals will bloom throughout the entire season; whereas, perennials may bloom intermittently during or between seasons.

What are the benefits of growing perennials?

Perennial plants and flowers provide lasting beauty and structure to your garden. They have specific seasonal bloom times that remain consistent year after year, ensuring vibrant color for your garden throughout the seasons. Perennials also contribute to biodiversity and help the overall environment. Their deep root systems help prevent soil erosion and retain nutrients, while also sequestering carbon. Planting lots of different perennials with varied bloom times ensures consistent, reliable food sources for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and beneficial wildlife.

When should I buy perennials to plant?

The ideal time to plant perennials is spring or early fall. This allows them to establish their root system before extreme weather.

How do I care for perennial plants?

In general, Perennials need watering, occasional fertilization, and deadheading to encourage repeat blooming. The specific care needs can vary by type. At Annie’s Annuals & Perennials, we offer many native and low water, low-maintenance perennials to make planting and caring for them easy. We want to make gardening success attainable for everyone.

Can you plant perennials in pots or containers?

Yes! We have hundreds of perennial plants that work well in containers as well as in garden beds. Just make sure your pot size is adequate for the root system of your particular plant.

Do perennials require full sun?

Some perennials prefer full sun, which typically means at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. Other varieties require full or partial shade. At Annie’s Annuals & Perennials, we offer you many options for both shade and sun plants to fit every gardening need.

Do perennials attract pollinators and wildlife?

Yes! Perennials, with their reliable bloom times, are valuable additions to a pollinator-friendly garden. They provide consistent food sources for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other beneficial wildlife. Planting many different perennials with varied bloom times will attract and feed pollinators throughout all of the seasons.

What are some popular perennial flowers?

Some common perennials include <strong>Yarrow</strong> (Achillea millefolium), </strong>African daisies</strong> (Arctotis) </strong>Butterfly Bush</strong> (Buddleja davidii), <strong>Campanula, Dahlia, Delphiniums, Peonies (Paeonia), Roses (Rosa), Irises, and Coneflowers</strong> (Echinacea). At Annie’s Annuals & Perennials, we offer almost hundreds and hundreds of popular perennials – like the ones previously mentioned, along with more unusual and hard-to-find varieties.

At Annie’s Annuals & Perennials, we also offer many more perennials that are quite unusual and hard to find

What are hardy perennials?

Hardy perennials are perennial plants that grow for multiple seasons and can survive very cold weather in their growing zones. For this reason, hardy perennial plants are the perfect plant selection for any garden.

Do perennials come back every year?

Yes, if planted and cared for properly, perennials will return year after year. At Annie’s, we offer hundreds of perennials that are perfect beginner plants– easy to grow and easy to care for - so everyone can garden successfully.

What are different types of perennials?

Flowering Perennials: Are known for vibrant, consistent and long-lasting blooms. Examples include peonies (Paenonia), roses (Rosa), coneflowers (Echinaea), Abutilon, Alstroemeria, african daisy (Arctotis), foxglove (Digitalis pupurea), carnations (dianthus), geraniums, sages (Salvia), Strawflowers (helichrysum bracteatum), hollyhocks and impatiens, among many others.

Foliage Perennials: Are known for their striking, colorful foliage. Hostas, heucheras, and ornamental grasses are some common varieties.

Shade-Loving Perennials: Thrive in low-light or partial shade conditions. Examples include astilbes, ferns, and bleeding hearts (dicentras). Some of our favorite shade perennials at Annie’s are Begonias, Fuchsias, Sedges, Hellebores, Heucheras, and Impatiens.

Sun-loving perennials: Thrive in full sun conditions (meaning full sun for at least 6 hours per day). Some common examples of sun-loving perennials are lavender (Lavandula), sage (Salvia), African daisy (Arctotis), and yarrow (Achillea millefolium). At Annie’s Annuals & Perennials, we offer almost one thousand sun-loving perennials – like the ones previously mentioned along with more unusual and hard-to-find varieties.

Herbaceous Perennials: These are perennial plants that die back to the ground each Fall or Winter, but whose roots remain alive and send up new growth and reemerge in the Spring or Summer. They include a variety of flowers and foliage, like columbines (Aquilegia), delphiniums, foxglove (Digitalis pupurea), and Iris.

Woody Perennials: These are shrubs and small trees that persist for many years, bringing useful structure and seasonal blooms to your garden. Examples include hydrangeas, California lilac (Ceanothus), fuchsias, and butterfly bushes (Buddleja).

Native Perennials: are well-suited to specific regions and often need less maintenance and human intervention. California native plant species might include yarrow (Achillea), California poppies (Eschscholzia californica), milkweed (Asclepias), monkey flowers (Mimulus), and some sages (Salvias), depending on your location. At Annie’s Annuals & Perennials, we offer one of the largest selections of CA native perennials to be found anywhere.

Long-Blooming Perennials: Have extended blooming periods and can include varieties like Alstroemeria, Abutilon (Flowering Maples), African daisies (Actotis), Agastache, coreopsis, yarrow (Achillea), and sages (Salvias).

Drought-Tolerant Perennials: Can withstand periods of dry conditions and need less watering. Examples include lavender (Lavandula), yarrow (Achillea), sedum (stonecrop), Agastache, Aloe, milkweed (Asclepias), and some sages (Salvias).

Deer-resistant Perennials: Have characteristics that make them less appealing to deer. Options include yarrow (Achillea), lambs' ears (Stachys byzantine), Agastache, and some ornamental sages (Salvia).

Perennial Bulbs: Some perennials grow from bulbs, including favorites like tulips, daffodils, freesias, ranunculus, and irises. They return year after year, adding color to your garden each spring.

Climbing Perennials: Perennial vines like clematis and wisteria add vertical interest to your garden, climbing trellises, arbors, and fences.