How to Harvest Rhubarb the Right Way (Hint: Don’t Cut It!)

Harvesting Rhubarb the Right Way

That rhubarb in your garden is ready — so what’s the best way to harvest it? You might assume it’s fine to simply cut the stalks off. It’s not. Instead, learn to harvest rhubarb the right way. It’s easy to do, and best of all it benefits the plant.

Leave that knife in the drawer. It’s all about the pull and twist! When stalks are sliced with a knife, the part left behind withers away… and that’s it. In contrast, twisting and pulling off the stalk allows it to separate from the bottom of the plant near the roots. This tells the plant to regrow a new stalk, giving you a more fruitful harvest and a healthier rhubarb plant.

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How to Harvest Rhubarb

Find a stalk on your rhubarb plant that’s ready to be picked. Grasp the stalk near the bottom. Lean it to the side and in one motion gently twist and pull the stalk up. The stalk will pop, separate from the rhubarb plant at the root and come cleanly away.

The twisting and pulling motion should be gentle. If the rhubarb stalk doesn’t come away immediately, grasp it lower and try leaning it in the other direction. If you find that the whole plant is coming out of the ground when you pull the stalks, pack it more firmly into the soil around the roots.

Remember that only the rhubarb stalks are edible, so cut off the rhubarb leaves and discard them.

When to Harvest Rhubarb

Give new rhubarbs plants at least a year before harvesting for the first time. When you’re looking at the stalks, the color doesn’t indicate readiness, so don’t worry if your rhubarb stalks are not completely red. Instead, check the length. The stalks are ready when they’re between seven and 15 inches long.

The best time to harvest rhubarb is during May, June and early July. After this, it’s best to let the plant be so it can regrow and recharge to survive the winter. Cutting the flower stalk away before it blooms helps extend the harvesting season.

When you’re gathering your rhubarb, remove no more than two-thirds of the plant. Be sure there’s some left to grow back next year! Check out these common foods you could be storing all wrong.

Now that you know the correct way to harvest rhubarb, gather an armload, stash some in the freezer for later and then cook up your favorite comforting rhubarb recipe!

Up next, here are 10 fast-growing vegetables you can harvest quickly.