Don't plant the rhubarb in the hot and dry place. A 4' diameter should be plenty. You could get by with less.

I have my Rhubarb against my house in a 6 ft by 2 ft area. It recieves 4-6 hours of sun and recieves runoff water from the roof as well as ocassional fertilization and occasional watering. SOme leaves are bigger than my 14 year old son. Rhubarb will put roots dwon over 5-6 feet into the ground. I know my Grandpa had a plant over 40 years old that the neighborhood kids used to eat as well as the grankids. Minimal care is needed.

Morning sun is the best and some afternoon shade may actually help. If you give it the right soil and water, expect about a 3.5 to 4.5 ft spread.

A mature clump of rhubarb can be kept to 4x4, especially if you keep the older stalks that lay flat on the ground, and tend to take up most of the space, harvested or discarded, leaving the more upright stalks for later use.

Rhubarb can take a lot of sun and heat if kept watered, otherwise shade is needed. If you want 1" diameter stalks or larger, good soil and water is a must.

I've had some leaves 30" across, larger than some dimensions of a 14-year-old.

I have a Valentine with a spread of more than 6'. It's amazing. The stalks are 1.5" across, with a nice red color. Valentine is the only variety to plant, IMO.

Marc

I don't know what type of rhubarb I have but the stems are as thick as my wrist and as long as my arm but remain tender. The plant is about 5 feet across and 3 feet tall. It is in a clay soil at the bottom of a slope in damp ground. It gets a good deal of shade.

...and which forum was it that didn't answer rhubarb questions? They should be put on probation:)
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Rhubarb that is consistently watered and/or shaded can have tender stalks regardless of size, and can be harvested from April through Labor Day. It's not just for mixing with June strawberries!