Rhubarb harvesting.

My Rhubarb has been growing very well this year and I have been pulling about six stalks a week (two deserts worth, with custard yum).
It is still growing very strongly, with lots of new buds showing. When should I stop pulling, to give it time to recharge for winter.

 

"When should I stop pulling"

Now! End of July is when I stop harvesting.

 

Thanks Kristen,
I will call todays bowlful the last and give my rhubard a well deserved pat on the head (or leaf).
Onto blackberries now, they are already ripe in some places (wild ones), I love the blackberry season, ate so many last year, it's a wonder I didn't overdose, lol.

 

Its a good point, if the plant is producing leaf vigorously then now harm in continuing to harvest - it probably depends on the weather somewhat, a dry Summer will probably slow the plant up.

There are also Autumn varieties for those who love Rhubarb all season :thumb:

 

We'll be harvesting our 3 year old crown till end of august, last year it was mid august, and the year before end of july.

In the autumn we cover with garden compost and keep it moist.

Works for us.

We've planted 2 more crowns this year.

 

I've never grown rhubab, but my dad has grown tonnes of the stuff in the past. He won't grow it anymore because he thinks its too hard to keep under control.

In the past, whenever he's prepared a rhubarb bed, he would always put loads of rubble and broken bricks etc into the soil. He says that doing so encourages the roots to spread, this increasing the yield. He always got a bumper crop from it so maybe there is some truth in his logic.

 

So is jerusalem artichoke, and a darn site less useful as well.