When can I start picking my rhubarb?

Year two onwards. Don't pull stalks in the first season after planting — let the crown build up. From year two, pull stalks from April through to mid-July. Stop picking from mid-July to let the plant restore itself for the following year. A mature crown gives 30–50 stalks a season for 20+ years.

Are rhubarb leaves really poisonous?

Yes, the leaves contain oxalic acid in concentrations high enough to cause illness or worse. Strip the leaves off the stalks in the garden and compost them; only eat the stalks. The stalks contain small amounts of oxalic acid too but at safe levels — like spinach or chard. The general rule with rhubarb: stalks yes, leaves no.

How do I force rhubarb for early sweet stalks?

In late January, cover one crown completely with a tall opaque container — a traditional terracotta forcer, a large bucket, or a tall plastic pot. Exclude all light. The plant pushes up pale pink, tender, very sweet stalks in 6–8 weeks. Pick when stalks are 25–30 cm long, then remove the cover. The forced crown must rest the following summer — don't pick from it again until the year after.

Why is my rhubarb sending up flower stalks?

Stress or maturity. Hot dry weather, lack of feeding, or simply an old plant. Cut the flower stalks off at the base as soon as they appear — they take energy from the crown that would otherwise go into next year's stalks. Mulch heavily and water well. If a crown is still flowering after attention, it's probably time to divide it.

How long do rhubarb crowns last?

20+ years, often much longer. Crowns inherited from old gardens can be 50+ years old and still productive. Divide every 5–7 years to keep them vigorous; replace only when even divided sections produce poorly.

When does rhubarb come into season in the UK?

Forced rhubarb: March (the famous Yorkshire forced rhubarb is harvested by candlelight in dark sheds). Outdoor rhubarb: April through to early July. Don't pick after mid-July — stalks get tough and stringy, and the plant needs time to build for next year.

Rhubarb — Grow

Rhubarb

Rheum × hybridum

vegetable☀️ full-sun🪴 rich loam📏 large🌡️ RHS H6–H7

📋Quick Facts

Height

0.6-0.9m

Spread

0.6-0.9m

Water

💧💧 Average watering

Hardiness

Zone 3-8

About

Plant rhubarb crowns from November to March in a sunny spot with deep, rich, moist soil — well-rotted manure dug in heavily before planting pays back for the next 20 years. Rhubarb is very hardy (RHS H7) and one of the few crops that survives anything a UK winter can throw at it. Don't crop in year one (let the crown build up); pull stalks from April onwards in year two and beyond. Force one crown each year for early sweet pink stalks (cover with a tall pot in January for stalks in March). Mulch heavily in November with manure or compost; rhubarb is one of the hungriest crops in the garden. Crowns last 20+ years.

Top tip

Plant crowns in rich soil, avoid pulling in the first year, and stop harvesting by midsummer to let plants recover.

Also known as: Rhubarb, Ruibarbo, Rheum × hybridum, Rhabarber, Rhubarbe, Rabarbar ogrodowy

How to grow rhubarb

1
Choose crowns or seed
Buy crowns from a nursery; seed is possible but takes 2–3 years to reach productive size and the seedlings vary in quality. Reliable UK varieties: Timperley Early (the standard for forcing), Victoria (large red stalks), Champagne (sweet, slim stalks).
2
Prepare the bed
Full sun, deep, fertile, moisture-retentive soil. Fork in two barrowloads of well-rotted manure or compost per crown — rhubarb is exceptionally hungry. Once planted, it stays in the same spot for 20+ years, so make the bed properly.
3
Plant
November to March. Dig a hole big enough for the crown with the buds 2 cm below soil level. Firm in. Water if the soil is dry.
4
Don't crop in year one
Resist the temptation. Let the crown build up reserves through its first summer. Pull only one or two thin stalks for cooking, if any.
5
Mulch heavily each November
Apply a thick (10 cm) mulch of well-rotted manure or compost around the crown each November. Don't bury the crown itself — keep mulch 5 cm clear of the buds. This annual top-up feeds the plant for the entire next season.
6
Pull stalks from April
From year two onwards, pull stalks from April through to July. Grasp at the base, twist and pull — don't cut. Stop picking by mid-July to let the plant build up for next year. Leaves are toxic (oxalic acid) — compost them, don't eat them.
7
Force a crown for early stalks (optional)
In late January, cover one crown with a large bucket, terracotta forcer, or even a tall plastic pot — exclude all light. The plant produces pale pink, very tender stalks in 6–8 weeks. The forced crown then gets a year off; don't pick from it that summer.
8
Remove flower stalks
Rhubarb sometimes sends up tall flower stalks in summer (the plant is trying to seed). Cut them off at the base; flowering reduces the next year's crop.
9
Divide every 5–7 years
Mature crowns get crowded. In November, lift the crown, divide it with a spade into 3–4 pieces (each piece needs at least one strong bud), replant the best ones in fresh soil. Discard the woody central core.

Common questions

Pest Resilience

4/5 — Good resilience

Very few pests once established; crown rot if soil is waterlogged.

Companion Planting

Grows well with

Garlic Cabbage Broad bean

Visual Characteristics

🍳

Culinary

Culinary Use

Crumbles, pies, fool, compote, jam, cordial, gin infusion, cakes

The rhubarb year in your garden

Dispatching imaginary bots to check your garden out...

What to do now

How to Propagate

🔪Division

Easy

🌰Seed

Easy

Hardiness Zones

H1a (tender)H7 (very hardy)

H1a

H1b

H1c

RHS H6–H7

USDA 5 equivalent

Rhubarb

Rhubarb

📋Quick Facts

About

How to grow rhubarb

Common questions

Pest Resilience

Companion Planting

Visual Characteristics

The rhubarb year in your garden

How to Propagate

Hardiness Zones

Names in Other Languages(5)