When and how to harvest rhubarb, with a warning from Monty Don

Got a hankering for rhubarb crumble? Then you might be eager to harvest the bounty growing in your garden. But did you know that rhubarb should only be picked at certain times of year? It’s also important to know how to harvest rhubarb, as doing it incorrectly could leave your plant susceptible to disease.

Read on to discover the signs that your rhubarb is ready to be harvested, and learn the correct way to do it.

When should you start picking rhubarb?

Pull the rhubarb, don't cut it

During a segment of Gardener's World, first broadcast in March 2022, presenter Monty Don explained how to harvest rhubarb without damaging your plant. "You should feel [the rhubarb] come away with a little bit of the base attached to it, which can be cleaned off before you eat it."

Don warns that: "if you cut it, there is a risk of die-back and a bit of disease getting in. Whereas pulling the rhubarb from the base and allowing it to break off naturally will ensure that new green shoots form.

Stop when July arrives

Don reveals that rhubarb can be "harvested regularly throughout spring and early summer" but that you should "stop once you get to July".

"Let the plant grow, let the leaves get really big and all that goodness that they take through photosynthesis will feed back into the roots and ensure a good harvest the following year."