RHUBARB

Our rhubarb was growing at our previous location. We brought one plant, divided it into four plants and transplanted them here December 2014. We had bought the property and brought our 5th Wheel RV here to vacation, plan & build our house. At that time I didn’t know exactly where our future garden would be, but wanted to get the rhubarb going, so it was planted in a sunny spot near our RV, shown at the left.

It was nice to give it a chance to get established. I had thought that the deer would not want to eat it, and I was right….sort of….for a while. Eventually they did nibble a bit. We would see them sniff, nibble and walk away.

After the garden was established with the raised beds, we eventually divided the rhubarb again, and transplanted it (now 8 plants) along the front of the garden on either side of the gate, but outside the enclosure. Here it gets watered along with the main garden, gets plenty of sun, and has done very well.

The deer did not bother it. Much. At first. At the end of the season, in the fall, they typically do feast on it some. I guess pickins’ are slim by that time, but then I don’t care much, since the good stalks have been harvested.

One year the rhubarb was coming along nicely until it was pretty well decimated in one night. I didn’t see them, but I assume it was deer, not bunnies, not ducks. The leaves were eaten (the poisonous part) but not the stalks, so at least we were able to enjoy some rhubarb desserts using the stalks. Rhubarb-Apple Crisp is nice!

RHUBARB VARIETY GROWN

Starkrimson® Rhubarb This is a beautiful red stalk rhubarb. I bought this from Stark Bros. for our former property in 2010 and we’ve enjoyed it ever since.