Rhubarb? In the Hot Desert?

Q. I would like to grow rhubarb here in Las Vegas. I live in Sun City Summerlin at about 3300ft. elevation. Any and all info would be appreciated such as variety, where to purchase, when to plant, shade or sun, in the ground or in pots, etc.

A. We did try rhubarb at our orchard a couple of times with no success.  It could not handle the heat, primarily, which is my guess.  It is commonly believed that rhubarb will not grow in the Las Vegas valley and the purported reason among gardeners is that it needs some winter “chilling”. I am not convinced of this.

            But my failure should not stop you because I did not give it a lot of my time and it was not planted in a protected area which it will require to “baby” it for the first couple of years until you learn how to manage it.

            Rhubarb is probably not something I would recommend unless you are an experienced gardener and understand how to manipulate and manage your microclimates, soils and irrigation to get the response you need. 

            Your 3300 foot elevation will help a lot compared to our 2000 foot elevation at The Orchard. It would be very happy at 4500 feet or more. I would plant it in the ground.

            Find a bright but cool location in your yard that will protect the plant from late afternoon sun.  Light shade will work just fine. I would usually suggest the north or east sides of a building. Winter cold is not a concern.

            Pick a spot where it can be left undisturbed for the next 10 years.  This is a perennial crop, harvesting leaves and stems regularly through the growing season.

            Dig the soil about 18 inches deep and amend with about 75% good compost. There is a lot of junk compost out there. In compost, you will usually get what you pay for.

            Rhubarb can grow to four feet in height in the right climate. You will probably see it healthy during the spring and fall and really look quite bad during the hot summer months then rebound again in the fall. This is what we see with artichokes and other plants that are not supposed to grow here as well.

            Plant the rhubarb rhizome with at least one good “eye” pointing up, three feet apart, about three inches deep. Fertilize with vegetable fertilizers. Mulch with straw to keep the soil cool and moist.

            Place a basin around the plant to collect irrigation water and hand water until you see strong growth. Fertilize it in January to get started and lightly once a month when you are harvesting the leaves and petioles. The leaves are poisonous so just use the stalks or petioles.