UMaine Extension tips included in Sun Journal’s response to reader’s rhubarb question
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension was cited in an answer to a Sun Journal reader’s question about where rhubarb can be obtained locally to grow. Rhubarb does well when it is split and replanted every so often, according to the article. Since it is a fairly common backyard plant, there could be a friend, relative or neighbor who has a plant in need of splitting, the article states. According to UMaine Extension, rhubarb crowns should be split at least every four to five years, or whenever the plant begins to produce many small stalks rather than fewer large stalks. Rhubarb splitting and subsequent planting can be done in either the spring, when foliage is not fully mature, or in the fall, after foliage has been removed, according to the UMaine Extension publication, “Growing rhubarb in Maine.”