Topic: When do you need to harvest Rhubarb

[cacran]

I have so much Rhubarb. I keep giving it away or freezing it. Is there a time when you have to stop harvesting it? I was wondering if I should strip the plants before that time came. ???

[Robert_Brenchley]

They say you shouldn't harvest it if there's an 'R' in the month. It gets coarser as the season progresses, but you can carry on for a good while yet. Just leave some on the plants!

[Svea]

i usually dont take any after the beginning of july, i.e. this w/e will be pretty much my last harvest. dunno why, it's the way my grandparents have always done it.

leave three leves on per bud/eye thing (the clump they grow from) in order to make sure the plant gains enough strength in the remaining months...

[Fork]

One of the older chaps on my lottie site once told me that you harvest from May until August.

He also said that as soon as you see any flowers,cut them off quickly because if you let the rhubarb seed it will never recover to its best again.

[MrsKP]

supplementary question, as I'm not allowed to harvest this year (first) what do I do with it all.  Plenty of stalks have grown but don't know what to do now.

[Robert_Brenchley]

If you don't take them off, it'll put all its strength into flowering not producing leaves. That being said, I've had hardly any flowers this year.

Why aren't you allowed to harvest, is it because it's just been planted? If so, just leave them alone! Otherwise, eat them.

[gruesome]

A local demonstration garden in my village closed down due to lack of council funding a few years back. So now the bulldozers are close to moving in I naughtily lifted 6 large crowns of rhubarb.  At the time of lifting the plants (early april) had some growth this died back in May but now the plants have recovered and are producing vigorous growth. Can I /should I, pick some or leave it this year to recover fully???

Thanks Gruesome

[jennym]

Like Svea, I always leave 3 stems min on the plant so if they look healthy enough to take some, then do. I reckon they'd only suffer badly if you took all the leaves off all of the time, they are pretty tough.

[Trevor_D]

No! Leave it this year, Gruesome. Pick it next spring.

As to the original question, I was always told that you stop pulling rhubarb when you start picking gooseberries.

We've got an early and a late, so we've been picking since late February.

[asbean]

supplementary question, as I'm not allowed to harvest this year (first) what do I do with it all.  Plenty of stalks have grown but don't know what to do now.

Just leave it in situ.  The leaves make fantastic compost, just let the leaves die down and it will compost itself  :)

[MrsKP]

Robert - yes I planted my two plants this year so was told not to harvest.  Not seen any flower shoots yet.

So just to clarify, I'll leave the leaves on the plant where they are until they die down and let them compost into the ground around the plant.

If any flower shoots appear, just cut them off.

Next year new leaves/stalks will grow and I can harvest some (leaving the remainder to do the same as this year i.e. die down to compost around the plant). 

Considering the stuff is just ignored by other plot holders on my site and is growing to humungous proportions without paying any attention to them at all, I feel I'm making this all a bit too complicated, but if I don't ask, I won't learn eh?   :P

[cacran]

Thanks for your answers to my question. I've got so much that I'd better give some more away. Won't take any off after August as September has an 'R' in it.  Will remove any flowers at once. Will leave the leaves around the plant to give it strength for next year. I will write it all down in my little book of handy tips so I don't have to ask again next year....lol!!!! :)