How to Start Growing Rhubarb | Raised Bed Preparation and Victoria Rhubarb Characteristics

English | 日本語

 Good morning, everyone.

At last, April has arrived. How have you been doing? It looks like there will be an entrance ceremony at a nearby school today. I saw welcome banners for the new students and decorative white and pink paper flowers being set up at the main gate. It’s still a little too early for students to arrive, but the weather is sunny and the air already feels pleasantly warm.

As for me, starting today, I’ll finally begin planting rhubarb in earnest. First, I need to build raised beds. In fields where a tiller can be used, this would probably be easy work, but my garden is too small for large machinery like a tiller, so I have no choice but to carefully build everything by hand with a shovel. It takes time. There are rocks buried underground as well, so it’s definitely hard physical labor. Still, for some reason, it’s enjoyable. First, I’ll build the bed up to the middle height.

Current status of raised bed construction

Next, I add 100% organic chicken manure fertilizer on top of the soil that has been built up to the middle level. I repeat this process two or three times to gradually increase the height of the raised bed. It’s coming along nicely.

Rhubarb planted at even intervals

Finally, I flatten the top surface to complete the raised bed. Then I dig planting holes for the rhubarb crowns at 1m intervals. Each hole is dug to about twice the length of the shovel blade. Since the raised bed is 23m long, I can make 23 planting spots.

Fermented chicken manure (organic fertilizer)

Since I grow everything organically, I only use 100% organic chicken manure fertilizer. Rhubarb is a perennial plant that absorbs nutrients very efficiently. To explain in more detail, it can be classified as follows.

When rhubarb is divided into plant taxonomy (Plant Taxonomy) and cultivars (Cultivar), it can be organized as shown in the following table. Botanically, it belongs to the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae) and the genus Rheum (rhubarb genus). The name Rheum comes from a Latin term associated with its ancient medicinal use as a laxative.

Victoria (Victoria) cultivar

Most of the rhubarb grown in Fujimi appears to be the Victoria (Victoria) cultivar, which is known for being hardy, easy to grow, and highly productive.

Rhubarb Classification List

Classification	Name	Japanese Name / Description
Plant Taxonomy	Rheum rhabarbarum	Edible Rhubarb The most common edible species and the foundation of many cultivars. Most improvements were developed in Europe.
	Rheum officinale	Medicinal Rhubarb Used as the source of the herbal medicine “Daio” in traditional medicine. The stalks are not very suitable for eating and contain high levels of anthraquinones (laxative compounds).
	Rheum palmatum	Chinese Rhubarb Characterized by deeply divided, palm-shaped leaves. Mainly cultivated for medicinal and ornamental purposes.
Red Cultivars	Crimson Red	Crimson Red Rhubarb Deep red color with tender fibers. Popular for home gardening.
	Canada Red	Canada Red Rhubarb Red throughout the stalk, making it excellent for juice and jam with vibrant color.
	Valentine	Valentine Rhubarb Slightly sweeter with a good balance of tartness.
Green Cultivars	Victoria	Victoria Rhubarb The most classic cultivar (19th-century England), known for being hardy, easy to grow, and highly productive.
	Riverside Giant	Riverside Giant Rhubarb An extremely large cultivar suited for commercial production and processing.
Intermediate-Color Cultivars	MacDonald	MacDonald Rhubarb Pink-colored with a slightly sweeter flavor.
	Strawberry	Strawberry-Type Rhubarb As the name suggests, these cultivars are selected for pairing well with strawberries.

What All Cultivars Have in Common

All rhubarb cultivars share the same basic structure, with differences only in the strength of certain traits.

• All are derived from the same genus (Rheum).
• Most are hybrid lines centered around Rheum rhabarbarum and are not completely separate species (genetically, they are quite closely related).
• The edible part is the leaf stalk (petiole). The leaves themselves are not eaten.
• Tartness is the fundamental flavor (organic acids). They mainly contain malic acid and oxalic acid, with differences only in intensity.
• They are adapted to cold climates and require winter chilling (dormancy) to grow well.
• They are perennial plants (they return every year).
• The differences in color (red, green, pink) are mainly due to varying amounts of pigments called anthocyanins.
• The fibrous structure is primarily cellulose-based and naturally high in fiber.

Tomorrow (April 7), rain is in the forecast, so I think it will be a welcome rain for the rhubarb. For today, work on this single row is complete.

Well then, that’s all for today!

Summary: Today I planted red rhubarb crowns in the cool soil of Fujimi. Can't wait to see the sprouts!