My future Denver rhubarb garden

There will be a year of waiting before harvest of the Denver rhubarb garden. talk about gradual gardening!

Rhubarb was a staple where I grew up. We had rhubarb pies, rhubarb jelly and even rhubarb sauce on desserts. Yum! I plan to start some rhubarb in my gradual Denver garden next year. Barring my usual procrastination, rhubarb should do well here in Denver with a few adjustments.

We do have the cold winters that rhubarb needs to grow. However, it's not as cold here in the metro area as it is in the mountains. There could also be a problem with the hot Denver sun. Rhubarb likes moderate garden temperatures and partial shade during gardening season. For this reason, the plant needs a special location in my Denver yard.

Rhubarb requires garden soil that's high in organic matter and well drained. I may have to build another raised bed. My thinking is that the clay soil in my Denver yard and garden would be too dense for the rhubarb. Amending is an option, but it will have more drainage in a raised bed or container.

My mom says manure is the best organic fertilizer for the rhubarb garden. I don't really like using manure due to the nitrates and bacteria. Some say there's no harm, but as a vegetarian who's going vegan, the word nitrates sets off alarm bells for me. Compost is my favorite organic fertilizer. I think that will work well as long as I add plenty off grass clippings for a safer nitrogen boost.

Growing rhubarb entails planting rhubarb roots. I hope to find these science fiction looking critters in a Denver greenhouse. It might be difficult to find organic options. I may have to order online. We'll see. Rhubarb needs to be planted about a two feet apart in rows so a large space will be needed for the raised garden bed.

We'll be recycling some used pallets as wood for the raised rhubarb garden bed. This will keep the cost down considering the size of this project. It'll also allow for better drainage between the side slats. We have some wood leftover from the garden fence that should serve as corner posts for the raised bed.

I'm told that the roots should be covered with about 2 inches of soil. Rhubarb needs to be kept moist but if the soil doesn't have proper drainage, the roots could rot. For this reason, there will be a layer of rock at the bottom of my container garden.

There will be a year of waiting before harvest of the Denver rhubarb garden. The rhubarb plant takes a bit of patience. Waiting will probably prove to be my most difficult gardening task. I can taste that homemade rhubarb pie already!