Rhubarb is much more than the poor relation of the veg patch. This generous plant provides one of our earliest crops, serving the table from spring to early summer.

Not only can we enjoy the more traditional delight of an unbeatable dessert like rhubarb crumble, but also use rhubarb in savoury dishes, with minimal sweetening. It adds an almost lemony touch to a stir fry and combines well with ginger, especially when fresh, soy sauce or tamarind. And one of my favourite salads is rhubarb with pak choi, ginger and soy sauce.

If deciding to start growing rhubarb or are replacing an older crown that could be virus-ridden, our rhubarb, Rheum x hybridum, offers a goodly selection of different varieties.

The word ‘hybridum’ - hybrid - explains how our modern rhubarb was developed. Like many of our plants, rhubarb species are shamelessly promiscuous and cross-pollinate with any nearby but possibly different species. So in the 18th Century early breeders crossed different species till our modern, delicious stalks were found and developed.

The Chinese have used rhubarb for thousands of years. But they were interested in the crown, not the stalks, reckoning it had certain medicinal properties, particularly acting as a laxative relieving constipation. This must have been a serious matter, given the trouble folk went to solve the problem. But in fairness, rhubarb was used for other ailments as well.

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Foragers harvested and then cultivated roots from wild Rheum palmatum, Rheum rhabarbarum and Rheum officinale. Dried roots had made their way to Europe by the first century CE and the plant was known in Britain by early modern times. It was called Indian rhubarb, Turkey rhubarb or Chinese rhubarb.

The seeds of several rhubarb species were grown on and both roots and leaves were used by herbalists but by the early 18th Century Rheum rhabarbarum and Rheum rhaponticum were the most commonly cultivated. Since they readily hybridise and produce tender stalks; these attracted the attention of cooks so growers started selecting and developing the tastiest plants by forcing their petioles. And so emerged our Rheum x hybridum.

We can now select our crowns from a wide range of varieties. 'Timperley Early’ is a good early forcing choice, ‘Raspberry Red’ gives you wonderfully vibrant red stems, and ’Champagne’ has the most delicious stalks I’ve come across.

If you are starting a new plant or plants, you can do so any time from next month till the end of winter. Rhubarb is perhaps unsurprisingly a very greedy feeder, so needs good fertile soil, enriched with a generous dose of home-made compost and if at all possible, good well matured farmyard manure. Rhubarb will spread, so leave a good metre between crowns. Plant the crown with the growing shoot just above the surface. Firm the soil round the crown and water well.

You may need to replace an old, probably virus-ridden plant, always using a new site. Lift the old crown - you’ll scarcely believe how huge it’s become! Use a sharp spade or possibly a pruning saw to divide the crown.

Select sections from round the perimeter of the original crown, making sure each one has a growing point and root. Plant immediately in a prepared bed, as for a new crown. You can start pulling a few stalks in the second year after planting

Geranium macrrorhizumGeranium macrrorhizum (Image: unknown)

Plant of the week

Geranium macrrorhizum is a semi evergreen hardy geranium whose leaves colour to rich shades of red, gold and purple in autumn. In summer the species has deep magenta flowers but there are varieties with white or pale pink blooms.

It will grow anywhere, except in waterlogged soil, and genuinely suppresses weeds - and anything else growing in its path. Invaluable for growing under roses or in shady places.