"Rheum rhabarbarum: Used as a fruit, rhubarb is really a vegetable belonging to the sorrel family.

CULTURE: Rhubarb Seed: Start seed indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost. Use a sterile seedling mix and sow the seed 1/8-1/4 inch deep, covering lightly. Seeds will emerge in 6-18 days if the soil temperature is kept at a steady 70°F. After seedlings are up and growing well, up-pot if necessary. Harden off your transplants a week or two prior to planting in your garden. A cold frame works well for this. Once the threat of frost has passed, plant your seedlings into a prepared bed, using the directions outlined below for root divisions.
Rhubarb Root Divisions: Rhubarb prefers an open, sunny place and fertile soil. To prepare your patch, dig in lots of compost or well-rotted manure. Turn the soil as deeply as possible as it will help the roots go deeper, for stronger, healthier plants. To plant, dig a narrow trench in your well-dug beds and set the root divisions in the trench about 3-4 feet apart. Keep the growing point just at the soil surface. Firm the soil and water well. Keep the bed well watered and weeded the first summer for optimal development. Many experts suggest you don't harvest any stalks the first year, allowing the plant to become well established. Add compost and a cup of our complete fertilizer around each plant in the early spring every year.
INSECTS AND PESTS: Usually unaffected. Consult your local county extension agent for specific problems.
HARVEST: Harvest the stalks by pulling rather than cutting. Don't remove more than half the stalks in a summer, to allow the plant to build up food reserves. Cut off flower stalks as they emerge. Fresh rhubarb stalks can be stored 2-3 weeks at 33°F and 90-95% relative humidity.
SEED SPECS: Minimum germination standard: 75%. Usual seed life: 2 years. Approximately 15 seeds per 1/4 gram.

Sampler: 1/4 gram
Packet: 2 grams"