[Sharonx]

Good Morning People 

I planted Rhubarb in September last year and is coming along really well ( apart from it being covered in black fly! )

I know you should leave it for the first growing season, but wasn't sure if I could start to take from it now or whether I need to leave it until next year

Bit confused as usual   

[SMD66]

I think you can harvest a number of stalks but leave some too

[janiejakemum]

I planted ours around then and its plentiful at the moment although i am leaving mine - every time i look at it i think what a shame but hopefully next year it'll be worth it.

[Yorkie]

I never harvest rhubarb after the longest day of the year, so that the plant can continue to establish itself.

I really wouldn't take too many stalks from your plant at all, given it's a) a month later than June, and b) it's still the plant's first year after planting.

Patience in the short term will reap longer term rewards.

[janiejakemum]

I didnt know you shouldnt pick form it after the longest day.  Is that for established plants too or more for the underdeveloped?

[Yorkie]

Mine have been in for years 

As I broadly understand the theory, the base of the plant (tuber? crown?) contains the energy to generate new stalks in the spring.  If you continue harvesting stalks all summer, the plant doesn't manage to return enough energy / nutrients etc to the base before it dies down.  So there is less vigour the following year.  By stopping harvesting it after a certain point, you allow the leaves to remain on the plant and thus reinvigorate it for the following year.

Might be a bit woolly on the precise terms but that's the basic principles of what I've previously been taught.

[Swing Swang]

I transplanted and divided all my crowns over the winter and won't be harvesting this year.

Next year however I'll keep pulling until the frosts, although those that I pull heavily early on won't be pulled later and vica versa. Come 2011 I'll start forcing too, but those plants will then have a year off to recover. So in effect I'll run 8 plants on a four year rotation: 2 forcing/2 recovering/2 late/2early.

Works for me.

SS