Rhubarb : Harvesting and What to do When Rhubarb Goes to Seed

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Here we are in the middle of May. For many in the upper Midwest, you may not have even planted your garden yet. This won't stop your perennial plants from sprouting though. If you're like us, you might even be ready to start your first harvest on the early growers. Our rhubarb came up in full force and when we went out to thin out the rhubarb, we noticed it was already going to seed.




For those of you who have never grown rhubarb before, this flower can look especially alien. You might be thinking to yourself, "What do I do with this weird seed thing?" or "Do I need to let rhubarb go to seed?". Seeing rhubarb flowers is also disappointing, especially if you were hoping to harvest throughout the summer. Who only wants one rhubarb pie each year? Not me! Luckily, there's a way we can keep getting rhubarb even if the plant begins producing seeds. We going to run  through a few tips on how to keep your plant producing all summer as well as the best way to harvest rhubarb.



What Causes Bolting (Seeding)
  • Maturity (Older plant or not harvested often enough)
  • Heat (Rhubarb prefers cool weather)
  • Stress (Lack of water, damaged plant, overcrowding)
How to Prevent Bolting
  • Divide the plant
    • Splitting the plant into two smaller plants creates more space for your rhubarb to grow. This reducing the stress from overcrowding.
  • Keep well watered
  • Add mulch to insulate the roots from extreme temperatures
  • HARVEST!! If you don't pick your rhubarb, it will inevitably go to seed.
What to Do if it Has Already Bolted
  • Relax, all is not lost.
  • Make a decision if you want to let the plant flower or if you want more rhubarb.
    • If left to seed, you can collect seeds in order to plant rhubarb elsewhere (from seed), though splitting and transplanting rhubarb is much simpler.
    • Letting rhubarb flower will dramatically reduce your summer harvest as energy is taken from stalk production to flower production.
  • To promote continued stalk growth, you'll need to cut out the flower stalks. Use a sharp knife to cut off as close to the ground as possible. The sooner you catch these, the less energy the plant will have wasted. The flower stalks are hollow and can be tossed after cutting or used in a unique flower arrangement.
  • Thin the remaining stalks to allow more growth and to enjoy your well earned harvest.

When To Harvest
  • Do not harvest the first year you plant. Allow the plant to put down roots and save up energy for a better harvest next year.
  • Cut at the ground or pull when stalks reach ~12-18".
  • Leaves are poisonous!! Remember to cut these off before consuming.
  • If the stalks are thin and spindly, this may be a sign that you need more space for your plant if it occurs in the spring (unless you recently planted the rhubarb)
  • Midway through summer if the plant begins to have spindly stalks, leave them as the plant is building up energy for winter and next springs growth.
Uses for Rhubarb

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