When and How to Harvest Rhubarb

Growing rhubarb, Rheum rhabarbarum, is not for those who lack patience.

Compared to something like a carrot, which you can enjoy just 60 to 75 days after planting, pie plant takes months. Often one year. Sometimes two or three.

But oh, when you finally bite into that heavenly slice of rhubarb pie, crisp, or crumble, the wait will have been beyond worthwhile.

This means that if you haven’t ever grown rhubarb before, you should start now. Check out our complete guide to growing rhubarb to get started.

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While you eagerly wait for your stalks, or petioles, to grow large enough for picking, let’s learn all about when and how to harvest rhubarb.

Here’s what I’ll cover:

There are many ways to plant: from seed, crown, bare root, or division. And you if you don’t have space in your garden, you can always grow rhubarb in containers.

We cover this in more detail in our guide to rhubarb varieties. But each planting method has different harvest specifications, so let’s find out what that’s all about.

Divisions are taken from rhubarb plants that are either about to go dormant for the winter, or about to leave the days of dormancy behind.

If you’re lucky enough to score a division from a friend, you’ll get to enjoy your own tart stalks come springtime.

This is because divisions are already mature plants that will produce stalks easily. The yield depends on how large the root section is.

(Hint: the larger it is, the more pie plant stalks you’ll get to harvest!)

So don’t be shy. Ask your rhubarb-laden gardening friends if you can