Rhubarb Container Gardening

Can You Grow Rhubarb
In Planters/Containers/Pots?

Container Gardening with Rhubarb?

Many people contact me with the question of whether or not it is possible to grow rhubarb in a planter, on a patio, or elsewhere.

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Although it is not impossible to do so, I do not recommend growing rhubarb in a pot, or any other type of planter.

If you do decide you want to grow this veggie in a container, scroll down for tips to do it successfully.

Although some sources claim success, growing rhubarb in a pot is not ideal. Rhubarb will thrive when planted in your garden, but not in a pot.

GO to PLANTING Rhubarb

GO to GROWING Rhubarb

The main reason why container growing is not a good choice for rhubarb plants is the fact that rhubarb is a perennial plant.

This means that rhubarb will come up every Spring provided it has passed through a period of dormancy during very cold temperatures.

During the cold temperatures the root (crown) is protected from extreme cold temperatures by being planted in the ground.

The earth acts as an "insulator" for the crown, protecting it from extreme cold.

Is there any method to use to successfully grow rhubarb in a pot?

To successfully grow this veggie in a container you need to protect the roots, to keep the plant alive during the time of extreme cold weather.

If rhubarb were planted in a pot, you would need to either bury it in the ground for the winter months, bring it inside into a cold cellar, or into an outdoor building such as an unheated garage or a shed with a more moderate temperature during the winter months.

If a outdoor patio space or a balcony is the only place you have available to store rhubarb in a pot during the winter, protect the crown from extreme cold by wrapping the pot in a few layers of insulation batting. (Be sure to remove the batting in early spring to avoid the root from becoming too warm and rotting.)

Whether the pot is stored in a cold cellar, unheated garage or shed, or protected on a balcony, it is also necessary to water the rhubarb in the pot from time to time, never letting it dry out completely.

Another reason that growing rhubarb in a planter is not a good method for growing this plant is because they are much too large for a container.

Rhubarb plants need a large amount of room for the crown to grow during the growing season. Rhubarb in a pot may fail to thrive because of restricted growth.

The pot used to grow the rhubarb will most likely also allow too much heat to penetrate the roots of the rhubarb plant. The roots would be exposed to too much heat during the summer, not having the protection of the ground as it would if the rhubarb was grown in a garden.

If you are interested in vegetable container gardening, it would be better to choose another plant, for example, tomatoes.

Here, below, are books which include information and guides for how to grow vegetable in pots, or on a rooftop, small spaces, etc.

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