New to rhubarb

[Small pumpkin]

When is a good time to plant out a new rhubarb? I got it at the EGS, it's doing very well in its pot, in the smaller cooler tunnel. It's got 4 ( side plate size ) leaves. Just wondering if I can start hardening off, ready for his final destination.
Can rhubarb leaves go on the compost heap or not? Just for future reference. I know I can't pick any this year.
Thank you

[roitelet]

Harden it off and then plant it out with lots of compost or well rotted manure, it's hungry. The leaves can go on the compost heap.

[sparrow100]

If you can plant it out on a slight hill it'll help with drainage, if you get a lot of the wet stuff.

[Bal]

I planted mine in big pots and buried them in the ground. I haven't got there permanent home ready yet. How long can I leave them in the pots. The fruit area won't be cleared till the autumn probably. Has all OH's building stuff on it at the moment

[Guest]

^^^As long as you like it just means the plant can't fully establish and thrive.

[roitelet]

Keep them well fed and watered and don't pull any stalks and they should be fine, if they don't split the pots!

[Invicta]

Don't need to harden off, Rhubarb is from Siberia and can cope with any cold in this country. Main enemy is wet soil causing rot, plant on a mound if you have damp soil.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Yep - rhubarb is as hard as nails so in theory, you can just bung in out into it's final spot BUT if it has led a soft life in a pot indoors darn sarf, it makes sense to give it some time for adjustment to the brak brae dour life in the frozen north.

Prep it's bed ( allow maybe a 4' bed) with lots of rotten hoss muck (or similar) and make sure you have't any bindweed in there, and I'd let it spread its roots this year before any cropping. any leaves will die down when it gets cold, and you will wonder if it is dead; fear not, come March (adjust for geographical variation) you will have fat buds, then stalks that you can get your mitts around.

BTW, rhubarb makes a particulary fine wine. Jus' saying!

[Small pumpkin]

Ok all that wonderful advice has brought up another question. Finally destination for my rhubarb is a big tractor tyre ( probably about 4') already filled with well rotted manure. I will heap it up a bit more in the middle. Will that be ok?

[Hazel at the Hill]

Yup.

[sparrow100]

I planted mine in big pots and buried them in the ground. I haven't got there permanent home ready yet. How long can I leave them in the pots. The fruit area won't be cleared till the autumn probably. Has all OH's building stuff on it at the moment

I tried that with 2 crowns - one made it through a year then died, the second was visibly miserable in the second year. It's now properly in the ground, has had a year resting there and this year I can pick some.

[Bigmallly]

Ok all that wonderful advice has brought up another question. Finally destination for my rhubarb is a big tractor tyre ( probably about 4') already filled with well rotted manure. I will heap it up a bit more in the middle. Will that be ok?

Perfick!...............

[Small pumpkin]

Ok my rhubarb seems to have settled into his new home very nicely
I was just wondering if you think I could take a few stalks off him?
This is what he looks like today

[Baldy]

You could I guess but personally I wouldn't. Leave it be and next year it would likely be twice the size. It's not so big now that I think you might slow it down if you harvested from it. I have the advantage of a monster Tomorrow Early that I'd need to napalm to get rid of... means I can leave my two little Victoria well alone this year.
Rhubarb wine can be devine

[Small pumpkin]

Thanks for that baldy, I Know you meant to leave it the first year but I wasn't expecting it to get so big, so quickly. So I thought I'd ask. I will go back to plan A. He will be left to continue growing.