when can I pick rhubarb until?

hotcookie101

I have a large rhubarb crown in the garden, which is still getting lots of new bits come up. Just wondering if there is a time I shouldn't pick it after?
Thanks

greyteam1959

Pick it whenever you like...........
This tells you all you need to know !!
http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/poison
HTH

mrbadexample

Traditionally, you stop picking rhubarb when the gooseberries are ready.

DaftyDuck

(mervyn11) I don't think the O.P. is worried about that, more looking after the plant for next year.

"They" say don't pick after the end of August. I've five plants, and I pick one or the other later than this - through September - and I'd say I couldn't tell the next year which plant I harvested later. However, I'd try to be sparing with the plant if picking this late. A good bit of mulch helps keep the plant healthy for the next year.

hotcookie101

Thanks
Will pick a wee bit more at the weekend then, and maybe leave it after that. Will see.

joedenise

Stopped picking mine this weekend just gone. It's beginning to get very stringy. Have frozen it to use for jam making - got about 2.5 Kg now so should make a reasonable amount of rhubarb & ginger, when I get round to it!

Denise

john9159

Your rhubarb is still good to pick and you should do so as soon as you can but please read the following:

The weather this year has been varied, warm followed by wet and cold and then warm again.
My rhubarb suffered during the bad weather but later recovered and produced good results, I am still picking now.

The usual method with rhubarb is to stop picking at end of July but as said the weather made things turn out differently.
It is usual to leave some healthy leaves on to aid the plant with recovery after all the hard work it has done.

As the stalks are still good, you should pick most but leave a few, when these rot down they should be removed and discarded as slugs will hide underneath.

NinjaB

I bought a crown this year and understood I shouldn't pick any at all which I can live with but I am finding the outer leaves are dropping off of their own accord and the stems look past their best. Is that normal? I have it in a place that the automatic watering seeps into ... do they prefer it dryer as opposed to moist ... wondering if I am rotting it.

wellused

I understand that rhubarb like many other plants prefer conditions which if I might say are rather finickity, moist with good drainage you would think that if it had good drainage then it would be on the dry side wouldn't you? So I guess that going by this water logging is as bad as being dry as far as the rhubarb goes.