When to Plant Rhubarb in Alice Springs, Arid / Semi-Arid Guide

Plant April to July. Right now in October it is out of season. The next planting month is April.

Planting window
Plant crowns in autumn or winter in rich, well-composted soil. They need full winter sun but a full shade canopy in midsummer to survive.
Days to harvest
about 52 weeks
Sunlight
Full sun in cool climates. Afternoon shade essential in warm-temperate and marginal zones. 4-6 hours minimum.
Water needs
Deep watering weekly during active growth (spring-autumn). Reduce to minimal in winter...
Spacing
90cm apart, 120cm between rows
Soil pH
5.5-6.8

Published · Last reviewed · By GardenBuddy.au
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.

This Rhubarb guide is written for the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, which takes in Alice Springs, Broken Hill and Port Augusta. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.

Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Perth

Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.

Rhubarb

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Rhubarb is a cold-climate perennial grown for its tart, colourful stalks used in pies, crumbles, jams, and sauces. It requires winter chill to break dormancy and performs poorly to dismally in tropical and subtropical Australia. CRITICAL SAFETY WARNING: Rhubarb leaves contain high concentrations of oxalic acid and anthraquinone glycosides and are TOXIC. Only the stalks are edible. Never eat the leaves.

See what grows now in your own postcode

Best Planting Window for Arid / Semi-Arid

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
- - - P P P P - - - - -

P = Planting window

Plant crowns in autumn or winter in rich, well-composted soil. They need full winter sun but a full shade canopy in midsummer to survive.

Want a nudge when it is Rhubarb sowing time in Alice Springs?

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Current Growing Conditions

Soil temperature: 24.4°C (optimal range: 10–25°C) ✓ Ready to plant

Modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Alice Springs), not a live sensor.

What this month normally looks like

In October the Arid / Semi-Arid zone normally runs 32°C by day and 16°C overnight, with about 19 mm of rain over 2 or 3 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was 1.9°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 10 postcodes, SILO.

How to Grow Rhubarb in Arid / Semi-Arid Australia

When to Plant

Plant crowns in autumn or winter in rich, well-composted soil. They need full winter sun but a full shade canopy in midsummer to survive.

Soil
Deep, rich, well-drained soil loaded with compost and aged manure. Rhubarb is an extremely heavy feeder. Dig in generous amounts of organic matter before planting.
pH Range
5.5-6.8
Sunlight
Full sun in cool climates. Afternoon shade essential in warm-temperate and marginal zones. 4-6 hours minimum.
Spacing
90cm apart, 120cm between rows
Watering
Deep watering weekly during active growth (spring-autumn). Reduce to minimal in winter dormancy. Consistent moisture prevents stringy stalks. Drought stress causes thin, tough stalks.

Companion plants: Strawberry, Garlic, Onion, Beans, Brassicas

Avoid planting near: Dock (related weed, harbours pests), Rampant ground covers that compete

Arid / Semi-Arid Growing Tips for Rhubarb

Recommended Varieties

  • Ever Red
  • Victoria

Key Challenges

  • Extreme summer heat causes dormancy or death
  • Requires heavy irrigation
  • Alkaline soils may need amendment

Pro Tips

  • Deep afternoon shade essential in summer
  • Treat as a cool-season crop that goes fully dormant in summer heat
  • Heavy mulch (15-20cm) insulates roots from extreme heat

Harvesting Rhubarb

When ready: Stalks 25-40cm long, firm, and well-coloured (red, green, or pink depending on variety). Leaves fully unfurled. Stalks should snap cleanly when pulled.

How to harvest: PULL, do not cut. Grip stalk firmly at base and twist-pull outward with a slight twisting motion. Cutting leaves stubs that can rot and introduce disease to the crown. Remove leaf blade immediately (TOXIC - compost the leaves or discard, they are safe in compost). Never harvest more than one-third of stalks at once.

Preserving: pressure canning

1 tested pressure-canning recipe for Rhubarb: 1 where it is the crop being canned. Each one comes from published home canning guidelines. The conversion to Australian units is ours, with psi beside every kPa. Always follow your pressure canner's manual.

Recipes in this set

  • Rhubarb-Stewed

The full recipe details are for members on a paid plan: jar sizes, headspace, process time, the pressure for a weighted or dial gauge at your altitude, the ingredients, the preparation steps and the safety notes.

See the plans

Where to next

What rhubarb costs in the shops right now, retailer by retailer, updated daily.

Also worth sowing in the arid and semi-arid zone this October: Lemongrass, Cucumber, Savory and Basil.

The pest most likely to find your rhubarb: Mealybug.

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Common Questions About Rhubarb

When do you plant rhubarb in Australia?

It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:

Which zone am I in?

Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, Alice Springs is its reference city.