Victoria, Rhubarb Crowns

Victoria Rhubarb Seed

Tender slender stalks bring mild, sweet rhubarb flavor
Green stems develop an attractive red blush
High-yielding plants supply abundant cooking harvests
Excellent for pies, sauces, and preserves

See product details

Key Attributes

Botanical Name

Rheum rhabarbarum

Days to maturity

2 Years

Sun

Full Sun

Packet

50 Seeds

Zones 3–8 Check your growing zone

About Victoria, Rhubarb Seed, Rhubarb Crowns

Victoria Rhubarb is a high-yielding variety with slender green stalks brushed with an attractive red blush. Its flavor is sweeter and milder than many rhubarbs, while the tender stalks cook quickly and easily. Productive plants supply abundant harvests for pies, sauces, preserves, and other recipes requiring dependable cooking rhubarb.

Growing details

Plant profile

Life Cycle

Perennial

Hardiness Zone

Zones 3-8

Plant Height

36 inches

Growth Habits

Rosette, Upright

Before Planting

Reserve a permanent corner of the garden where a mature rhubarb clump can spread three to four feet. Deep, moisture-holding loam suits it better than sand, provided water never pools around the crown. Loosen the bed well below normal cultivation depth and blend generous finished compost into the planting area.

Planting

Set dormant crowns in early spring as soon as workable ground permits. Spread the roots naturally and position the upper buds only 1–2 inches beneath the finished surface; planting too deeply encourages rot. Space crowns 3–4 feet apart, firm soil around the roots to eliminate air pockets, and water the planting thoroughly.

Watering

New divisions need dependable moisture while fresh roots develop. Thereafter, soak the bed during extended dry weather, particularly after harvest when the leaves are rebuilding the crown. Keep mulch slightly away from the central buds so trapped moisture does not promote decay.

Fertilizer

Rhubarb draws heavily on soil nutrients over many years. Top-dress with compost or well-rotted manure in early spring, adding a balanced fertilizer when growth or a bed-specific soil test warrants it. Keep concentrated fertilizer off the crown.

Harvesting

Allow the planting to establish for a full season without picking. Harvest sparingly the second spring and normally from the third year onward, pulling firm stalks sideways from the base rather than cutting them. Stop after several weeks so enough foliage remains, and never eat the leaves.

Tips

Snap off flower stalks as they appear so stored energy returns to leaves and roots. Replenish mulch after the soil warms, and divide old crowded crowns during dormancy when stalk production declines. Avoid cultivating where thick roots run near the surface.

Pests & Diseases

Rhubarb crowns can carry crown rot or viruses; leaf spots develop later in wet plantings. Buy firm, healthy divisions and discard pieces with soft tissue, dark cavities, or unusual mottling. Plant crowns in well-drained soil, remove spotted leaves after frost, and replace—not divide—chronically declining plants.

Rhubarb curculios may puncture stalks, while slugs and snails hide beneath dense foliage. Crown rot becomes the greater threat in poorly drained beds. Remove nearby dock weeds, clear collapsed leaves, improve airflow, and discard divisions showing soft or discolored crown tissue.