Crimson Red Rhubarb (Pre-Order)

Crimson Red Rhubarb is a customer favorite for its deep red stalks and the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors, making it excellent for various recipes. It produces abundant, thick stalks, perfect for desserts like pies, cobblers, preserves and jams. It grows well in both full sun and partial shade, preferring well-drained soil, and is hardy in Zones 3-8.

Key Features:

• Jumbo Crown Size: Our crowns stand out, averaging 14 oz, promising a quicker transition from planting to harvest.
• Flavor Profile: A perfect balance of sweet and tart, ideal for culinary uses from pies to preserves.
• Harvest Time: Given the larger crown size, these plants establish quickly, leading to an expedited harvest.
• Botanical Name: Rheum rhabarbarum 'Crimson Red'

Growing Specifics:

• Hardiness Zones: Thrives in Zones 3 to 9, showcasing a wide adaptability to different climates.
• Light Requirements: Prefers full sun to partial shade, with a recommendation of 8-10 hours of sunlight for optimal growth.
• Soil Requirements: Achieve maximum production in well-drained soil enriched with organic matter. Bed up heavier soil to keep roots from standing in water.

Cultivation Tips:

For planting and caring for rhubarb, start by preparing well-drained soil in a sunny spot, and enriching it with compost or manure. Plant crowns or divisions in early spring, spacing them about 3 feet apart. Keep weeded, water regularly, especially during dry spells, and apply a balanced fertilizer each spring. In the first year, avoid harvesting to allow the plant to be established. From the second year, harvest stalks sparingly to not weaken the plant. Remove flower stalks to encourage vegetative growth. We mulch heavily in the late fall with well-rotted manure and straw to prepare for winter.

Sales Tips for Farmers:

Rhubarb is popular with the older demographic and younger demographic who are nostalgic about making pies and other treats with their grandparents.

Customers highly prefer the deep red varieties, as the green varieties are viewed (rightly so) to be larger, but more stringy and less sweet.

Cross-selling opportunities include pairing with strawberries for classic pie recipes, offering bundles with baking ingredients, or suggesting it alongside herbs for creative culinary uses.

We also take extra crowns to pot up for spring plant sales.

Note: Ships in Late March/ early April

Non-GMO Commitment: At Growing Farmers and The Farm on Central, all our plants are guaranteed non-GMO and not genetically modified in any way, upholding natural breeding methods and promoting sustainable gardening and farming practices.

Growing method: Conventionally Grown, due to challenges in ensuring disease-free planting stock.