Why a shady corner suits rhubarb

Every garden has one: the strip behind the shed, the north-facing bed beside the fence, the awkward patch under the apple tree where lettuces sulk and tomatoes refuse to ripen. Rhubarb is the plant that makes peace with that ground. It crops perfectly well in partial shade — a few hours of sun, preferably in the morning, is ample — and it actually prefers a spot that stays cool and moist through summer rather than baking in full sun all day.

What it will not forgive is a waterlogged root. Deep shade is a different matter: in near-total gloom you will get long, thin, stringy stalks and disappointing yields. Aim for dappled light or a bed that catches sun for at least half the day, and give the plant room. A mature crown spreads close to a metre across and will sit in the same spot for a decade or more, so this is a long-term commitment rather than a quick catch crop.

Preparing the ground before you plant

Rhubarb is a hungry, long-lived perennial, and heavy clay suits it well provided the drainage is sorted. Dig the bed in autumn and work in plenty of well-rotted manure or garden compost — two or three barrowloads per square metre if you can spare it. On really sticky clay, add grit and plant on a slight mound or ridge so water never sits around the crown through winter.

Clear perennial weeds first. Couch grass and bindweed running through an established rhubarb crown are miserable to remove later, and you will not want to dig deeply once the plant is in. A raised bed is a sensible option in a small garden or on a badly drained plot; it also warms up earlier in spring, which encourages the crowns into growth sooner.

Planting a crown properly

• When: dormant crowns go in between late October and March, whenever the soil is workable and not frozen.
• Spacing: 90cm between plants, and the same distance from hedges, walls or tree roots that will compete for moisture.
• Depth: the growing bud should sit just at soil level. Bury it and the crown will rot; leave it proud and it will dry out.
• Feed: a handful of general-purpose fertiliser or a bucket of well-rotted manure mixed into the soil below the roots.

Water the crown in well, even in winter, and label the spot so you do not accidentally dig it over in spring while it is still dormant. If you inherit a neglected clump, lift and divide it in autumn, discarding the woody centre and replanting the firm outer pieces.

Feeding and mulching for thick stalks

The single most useful thing you can do for rhubarb is mulch it generously. In late winter, just as the buds begin to swell, spread a thick layer of well-rotted manure or compost — 5cm to 8cm deep — over the whole crown area, keeping it a hand's width clear of the growing buds so they are not smothered. This feeds the plant steadily through the season, holds moisture in the soil and keeps weeds down.

Top up with garden compost after harvesting finishes in midsummer, and water the mulch in if the weather turns dry. A well-fed plant produces stalks as thick as your wrist; a starved one gives you pencil-thin stems that collapse in the pan. Split established crowns every five or six years to keep them vigorous, and never let the mulch heap up against the buds themselves, which invites rot.

Water, weeds and the first-season rule

During dry spells in late spring and early summer, water thoroughly — one good soaking a week beats a daily sprinkle. Rhubarb in a shady corner dries out less, but it still needs moisture while it is pushing out stalks. Keep the area around the crown weed-free by hand, as hoeing risks nicking the buds just below the surface.

The most important rule for new plantings is simple: do not harvest anything in the first season. Let the crown build up strength and establish roots. You may take a light picking in the second year — two or three stalks from each plant — and a full harvest from the third. Impatient picking in year one gives you a weak plant that never quite recovers.

Harvesting, forcing and aftercare

Harvest from April to the end of June, and no later. Pull the stalks with a gentle twist rather than cutting them, which leaves a stub that can rot. Always leave at least four strong stalks on the plant to feed the crown, and remove any flower spikes as soon as they appear — flowering takes energy you want in the stems.

To force an early crop, cover a crown with a bucket or an upturned pot in late winter and the stalks will come pale, tender and sweet. Do not force the same crown two years running, and give it a generous mulch afterwards to say thank you.

Watch for slugs on young shoots and aphids clustering on the leaves in early summer. Crown rot in waterlogged soil is the main killer, which is why drainage matters more than richness. Remember that only the stalks are edible — the leaves are not — and tidy away the old foliage once the plant dies back in autumn, leaving the crown clean and ready for another year.