When to plant rhubarb in Oregon and Washington

In Portland: Plant rhubarb crowns Mar 1 – Apr 12. In Bend: Apr 28 – Jun 9. Find your city below.

Plant it where it can stay for a decade. Don't pick the first year, and never eat the leaves, which are poisonous.

Rhubarb planting dates by city

City	Plant in the garden
Astoria, OR	Mar 25 – May 6
Baker City, OR	Apr 20 – Jun 1
Bend and Redmond, OR	Apr 28 – Jun 9
Burns, OR	Apr 30 – Jun 11
Coos Bay and North Bend, OR	Mar 25 – May 6
Eugene, OR	Mar 1 – Apr 12
Gresham, OR	Mar 1 – Apr 12
Klamath Falls, OR	Apr 28 – Jun 9
Medford, OR	Mar 1 – Apr 12
Pendleton, OR	Mar 20 – May 1
Portland, OR	Mar 1 – Apr 12
Roseburg, OR	Mar 1 – Apr 12
Salem, OR	Mar 1 – Apr 12
The Dalles, OR	Mar 20 – May 1
Wilsonville and Canby, OR	Mar 1 – Apr 12
Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA	Mar 25 – May 6
Bellingham, WA	Mar 1 – Apr 12
Ellensburg, WA	Apr 1 – May 13
Everett, WA	Mar 1 – Apr 12
Forks, WA	Mar 25 – May 6
Moses Lake, WA	Mar 20 – May 1
Olympia, WA	Mar 18 – Apr 29
Omak and Okanogan, WA	Apr 1 – May 13
Seattle and Tacoma, WA	Mar 1 – Apr 12
Spokane, WA	Apr 1 – May 13
Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WA	Mar 20 – May 1
Vancouver, WA	Mar 1 – Apr 12
Walla Walla, WA	Mar 20 – May 1
Wenatchee, WA	Mar 20 – May 1
Yakima, WA	Mar 27 – May 8

Pick a sunny spot with soil that drains well, and mix in an inch or two of compost.
Plant rhubarb crowns on your city's dates, 3 to 4 feet apart. Crown buds 1 to 2 inches below the surface.
Mulch with compost each spring, and cut off flower stalks as soon as they appear.
Harvest: Pull (don't cut) stalks when they're 10 to 15 inches long. Take no more than a third at once, and stop in early summer. Never eat the leaves.

Crown rot in soggy soil. In wet west-side gardens, plant on a slight mound or in a raised bed.