Rhubarb 'Victoria'

Planting Your Rhubarb
Choose a sunny or lightly shaded position with fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil. Rhubarb can stay productive in the same spot for many years, so prepare the ground well before planting with plenty of well-rotted manure or garden compost.

Planting Crowns
Plant crowns with the growing point at soil level or just visible above the surface, spacing plants around 75–90cm apart. Water well after planting. If you can't plant straight away, keep the crowns somewhere cool and keep the roots moist, then plant as soon as possible.

Planting Potted Plants
Potted rhubarb can be planted straight into its final position. Plant at the same depth it was growing in the pot, gently firm the soil around the root ball and water thoroughly.

Growing in Containers
Rhubarb can also be grown in a large container filled with good-quality compost. Make sure the pot has good drainage and water regularly, particularly during warm, dry weather. Container-grown plants will need more frequent watering and feeding than those growing in the ground.

Watering & Feeding
Water during prolonged dry spells and feed in spring as growth gets underway. An annual mulch of well-rotted manure or garden compost will help retain moisture and improve the soil, but keep it clear of the crown itself.

Top Tip
Remove any flower stems as soon as they appear so the plant can put its energy into producing strong stems and maintaining a vigorous crown.

When to Harvest
‘Victoria’ is a dependable maincrop variety, with established plants producing harvestable stems from around late May. It follows earlier varieties nicely, making it particularly useful if you're growing several different rhubarbs to extend the season.

Give New Plants Time
Avoid harvesting newly planted crowns during their first growing season so they can establish a strong root system. In the second year, harvest only a few stems. Once plants are well established, you can harvest more freely while always leaving plenty of healthy foliage.

How to Pick Rhubarb
Choose well-developed stems and grasp each one close to its base, then pull firmly with a gentle twist. The stalk should come cleanly away from the crown rather than needing to be cut.

Keep Your Crown Productive
Never strip the plant completely. Leave plenty of healthy stems and foliage so the leaves can continue feeding the crown and building up reserves for next year's crop.

Top Tip
If an established clump starts producing thinner or fewer stems after several years, it may be becoming congested. Dividing the crown during dormancy can rejuvenate the plant and help maintain strong cropping.

Suitable for Late Forcing
Although ‘Victoria’ is best known as a reliable maincrop rhubarb, established crowns can also be forced for an earlier harvest. Covering the crown to exclude light encourages tender, paler stems to develop.

How to Force Your Rhubarb
Cover a strong, established crown with a rhubarb forcer or tall upturned container that completely excludes the light. Check the developing stems regularly and harvest once they're large enough to use.

Give the Crown Time to Recover
Forcing takes energy from the crown, so only force strong, established plants and don't force the same crown every year. Once harvesting has finished, uncover it and allow the foliage to grow normally and replenish the plant's reserves.

A Classic for Cooking
‘Victoria’ has the good, robust rhubarb flavour that works brilliantly in traditional puddings. Use the stems for crumbles and pies, or cook them gently for compotes, jams and preserves.

Make the Most of a Big Crop
If your harvest gets ahead of you, rhubarb freezes well. Wash and trim the stalks, cut them into pieces and freeze them ready to turn into a warming pudding later in the year.

Remove the Leaves
Only the stalks are edible. Remove and discard the leaves after harvesting, as rhubarb leaves should not be eaten.

Rhubarb Crowns
Choose crowns if you prefer to plant rhubarb while it is dormant. Your collection will contain three dormant crowns, carefully packaged and ready to plant. They may have little or no visible top growth when they arrive – this is completely normal. Crowns are despatched from November.

Potted Rhubarb Plants
Choose potted plants for established young rhubarb plants already growing in nursery pots. Your collection will contain three potted plants, ready to plant straight into their final positions on arrival. Depending on the time of year, they may already have leaves and stems. Potted plants are despatched from April.

What to Expect Through the Seasons
Rhubarb is a hardy herbaceous perennial, so its appearance naturally changes throughout the year. Plants grow strongly through spring and early summer before the foliage dies back later in the year. The crowns remain dormant through winter before producing fresh new growth the following spring.

Can't Plant Your Crowns Straight Away?
Keep them somewhere cool and keep the roots moist, but don't leave them stored for longer than necessary. Plant as soon as conditions allow, avoiding frozen or waterlogged ground.