When to plant rhubarb

Very hardy · shrugs off freezes

Rhubarbis keyed to your local frost dates. The offsets below hold anywhere — but the calendar dates they land on don’t. Enter your ZIP for dates tuned to your city’s nearest NOAA station.

Rhubarb planting timeline

Transplant out

2–6 wks before

-7 wksLAST SPRING FROST+1 wks

Perennial: plant once and it comes back for years. Many types crop lightly the first season and reach full harvest by year two or three.

Very hardy: withstands hard freezes and is among the first crops you can plant.

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Rhubarb planting FAQ

Can I direct sow rhubarb?

Rhubarb is usually started indoors and transplanted rather than direct sown, for a reliable stand.

Is rhubarb frost-hardy?

Very hardy: withstands hard freezes and is among the first crops you can plant.

Planting reminders

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Planting windows are offsets from your local 1991–2020 NOAA frost normals. How we compute this.