How to plant rhubarb crowns in the UK
Updated: October 2026
When a bare-root parcel arrives in winter, the crown may look like a dry tangle with no obvious top. Knowing how to plant rhubarb crowns comes down to finding the growing bud, keeping it at the soil surface and giving the root drained ground in which to establish. If you have not ordered yet, compare the packs on the [rhubarb plant comparison](/hub/seeds-and-plants/rhubarb-plant). Once the crown is in your hands, plant it promptly rather than waiting for visible leaves. The notes below keep the different depth, spacing and soaking instructions apart instead of pretending that one seller’s method applies to every crown.
When a bare-root parcel arrives in winter, the crown may look like a dry tangle with no obvious top.
When a bare-root parcel arrives in winter, the crown may look like a dry tangle with no obvious top. Knowing how to plant rhubarb crowns comes down to finding the growing bud, keeping it at the soil surface and giving the root drained ground in which to establish. If you have not ordered yet, compare the packs on the rhubarb plant comparison. Once the crown is in your hands, plant it promptly rather than waiting for visible leaves. The notes below keep the different depth, spacing and soaking instructions apart instead of pretending that one seller’s method applies to every crown.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Crowns | Bud note | Soak note | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Carbeth Plants The Sutton, one crown (second listing) | 1 | At or just above soil | Soak if the crown looks dry | 6.8 | about £9.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Carbeth Plants Prince Albert, two crowns | 2, separate holes | Pink growth point upwards | Follow the note with the crown | 7.4 | about £14.99 | View offer |
 Carbeth Plants Timperley Early, two crowns | 2, separate holes | At or just above soil | No soak rule on the listing | 7.6 | about £13.99 | View offer |
On this page
When the crown should go in
The normal UK planting window for bare-root rhubarb is dormancy, from November to March. The RHS advises planting soon after arrival, on a day when the soil is workable rather than frozen or waterlogged. A dormant crown gains nothing from sitting in a cold puddle.
Prepare a sunny or lightly shaded position with fertile, well-drained soil. Rhubarb stays in place for years, so remove perennial weeds first and do not place fresh manure against the root. If the soil holds standing water, use a large container or a better-drained site. Growing rhubarb in pots covers that option.
If you cannot plant at once, follow the supplier’s storage note. The Sutton listing suggests a cool, shaded place for a few days, not a week. Keep the label with the crown.
Which way up and how deep
Find the growing point before you dig. It may be a firm bud or pink nub above the thicker roots. One Prince Albert reviewer used that pink point as the top, which is a buyer’s tip. Set the roots down and spread them.
The RHS vegetable guide says to leave the bud just above the soil. The fruit guide says the growing point should be at or just below the surface, and slightly proud on wet soil. Do not bury the crown. Finish with the growing point at surface level or slightly above it where drainage is marginal.
Firm the soil gently so air gaps close without crushing the crown, then water it in. That watering settles the soil. It is not the same decision as soaking the bare crown. Mark the spot so you do not dig through a dormant plant.
Two crowns need separate positions. The vegetable page gives 75–90 cm, and the fruit page gives 1 m. Use the wider interval if you have room. Do not put both roots in one hole.
Soak or do not soak
UK instructions conflict on pre-soaking. Blackmoor says not to pre-soak. The captured Sutton listing says to soak a crown if it looks dry. Some Champagne buyers report an overnight soak, which is personal practice, not a controlled recommendation. Follow the note for the exact crown rather than combining both methods.
If the nursery says not to soak, plant promptly and water afterwards. If it says to soak a dry crown, use its duration, not an open-ended bath. A soft or rotten crown is not repaired by water. Photograph it and contact the seller.
Watering in is still needed unless the ground is already saturated. You want moist contact around the roots, not standing water over the bud. In dry weather, check below the surface rather than watering on a calendar. For unclear listing wording, see the rhubarb crowns buying guide.
What not to do in the first year
Do not pull stalks in the first growing year. The RHS says to leave a new crown so it can establish. A few leaves do not mean it is ready to crop.
Do not force a crown in its first year. Forcing excludes light and draws on stored reserves. That suits an established plant with time to recover, not a root you have just planted, even if the seller’s photographs show mature red stalks.
No immediate shoot is not automatic failure. Cold soil and cultivar timing can delay growth. Keep settling soil off the bud. If the crown stays soft while neighbouring rhubarb grows, photograph it and ask the supplier.
Common questions
When can I plant rhubarb crowns in the UK?
Plant bare-root crowns during dormancy, normally from November to March, and soon after they arrive. Wait if the soil is frozen or waterlogged. A short delay in a cool, shaded place is preferable to forcing the crown into saturated ground, but follow the supplier’s storage instructions.
Which way up does a rhubarb crown go?
Place the thicker roots down and the growing bud at the top. The bud may look like a firm pink or pale nub. Keep it at soil level or slightly proud rather than deeply buried, and use any cultivar-specific diagram supplied with the order.
How deep should the bud sit?
RHS pages say just above the soil, or at or just below the surface, with buds slightly proud on wet ground. Set the growing point around surface level. Deep burial is the outcome to avoid.
Should I soak a crown first?
Use the instruction for the exact product. Blackmoor says not to pre-soak, while the captured Sutton wording says to soak if the crown looks dry. Do not merge these into an automatic overnight soak. Watering the crown in after planting is a separate step.
How far apart should two crowns be?
The RHS vegetable guide states 75–90 cm, while its fruit guide states 1 m. Use the wider figure where space permits and do not put two crowns in one hole. The spacing should allow for a broad mature clump and access around it.
When can I pull the first stalks?
Do not harvest during the first growing year after planting. Leave the foliage to feed the crown and establish the root system. Begin limited harvesting only once the plant is established, following current RHS guidance and the condition of the individual plant.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources for this comparison. amazon.co.uk listings were read for the twelve crowns on this page.
- RHS, How to grow rhubarb (retrieved October 2026)
- RHS, Rhubarb fruit guide (retrieved October 2026)
- RHS, Timperley Early (retrieved October 2026)
- RHS, Forcing rhubarb (retrieved October 2026)
- BBC Gardeners' World, How to grow rhubarb (retrieved October 2026)
- NHS, Poisoning (retrieved October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved October 2026)
- Blackmoor, rhubarb crown note (retrieved October 2026)