'Fulton's Strawberry Surprise' Rhubarb Plant
Voted the best-flavoured rhubarb
Grown by John
South Downs National Park
Perfectly happy plants, or your money back
Specialist overnight plant delivery
The highlights
- Tart and subtly sweet
- Incredibly vigorous
- Stew and serve with fresh custard
- Harvest from April
Description
- Rhubarb is one of those fruits (well, technically vegetables...) that tastes good, but also looks *great* in the ground, too!
- With its striking red stalks, attractive lobed leaves and (most importantly) fantastic taste, 'Fulton's Strawberry Surprise' is a variety that's garnered a lof of attention since first entering the horticultural scene. In fact, in trials carried out by RHS Wisley, it was voted as the best flavoured rhubarb
- Hardy and very easy to grow, you can plant your rhubarb in the open ground, a raised bed or even in a large pot on your patio
- Your rhubarb stalks will be ready to harvest from late spring to early summer, and can be used in a whole variety of ways in the kitchen; from Dad's homemade crumbles to super-sticky jams, or simply stewed with some sugar and eaten with a big dollop (or three) of cream or custard
- Alongside its stellar performance in RHS Wisley's trials, this variety is also a recipient of the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) - one of only three rhubarb varieties to have been awarded this prestigious accolade
- Just a quick note - only eat the stalks as rhubarb leaves are poisonous to both humans and pets (they're absolutely fine to whack on the compost heap, though)
What To Expect
Supplied as:
Height on arrival:
Eventual height:
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Time to first crop:
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Self fertile:
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How To Grow
Good pest and disease resistance
When growing rhubarb, there are a couple of problems to look out for. Crown rot is caused by soil or water borne fungi or bacteria, and leaves plants looking sickly, failing to grow properly and rotting at the crown. This can spread to the stems and leaves, unfortunately causing the plant die. You can reduce the risk of crown rot by watering only when necessary, and doing so at the base of the plant. Slugs and snails can also attack young seedlings as well as the leaves of larger, more mature rhubarb plants. Surrounding your plants with a physical barrier (like crushed eggshells) will help keep them off.
Water well when establishing
Water well when new to help your plant(s) establish. After that, you will only need to water in extended hot, dry periods in summer (or if you're growing your rhubarb in containers).
Full sun to partial shade
Rhubarb grows best in full sunshine but will still grow nicely enough in a bit of shade.
Any moist, well-drained soil
You want soil with good drainage but that still retains some moisture when it comes to planting rhubarb. You'll also want to plant the crown so that its tip is peeking out just above the soil.
Feed every spring
An application of all-purpose fertiliser in spring can help your rhubarb plants on their way. It's also worth mulching in spring, using something like straw or well-rotted manure (but try not to cover the crown directly).
Planting Calendar
- Best time to plant
- Harvest
- Flower
South Downs National Park
Meet John
110 years' expertise free with every tree
John’s family have been growing trees in the South Downs National Park for over a century, and it shows. Dug up and sent straight to your garden at between 18-36 months old, their quality rootstocks, expert pruning and natural pest control mean that these traditionally field-grown trees are the hardiest you can get.
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Growing with Roots
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Our plants are grown in the UK
Specialist UK growers we know and trust grow your plants the traditional way, with organic fertiliser and biological pest control. They pick only the healthiest plants for you, professionally pruning them so that they’ll grow strong and well shaped.
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Your plants are sent to you fresh from the field in our plastic free box that’s specially designed to hold them tight, then securely delivered by specialist plant couriers - straight from the grower to your garden within 24 hours.
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Forced Rhubarb: A Step-by-Step Guide
Digging deep to answer your questions
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