[Sleepingpopman]

Hi everyone. Early this year I bought a new Rhubarb crown & put it in the corner of the veg plot, it has grown very well but I am led to believe you don't harvest them the 1st year, if this is so what do I do with it, do I just leave the sticks to die off  ?
As usual I look forward to your replies. 
Keith

[mumofstig]

Yes, just let it do it's own thing - If the sticks get slimy I'd remove them, but hopefully they'll just dry as they die back, returning the goodness to the roots ready for next year. Good luck!

[Sleepingpopman]

Many thanks to mumofstig for your reply to my Q'  As I said I was under that assumption but never growm rhubarb before, always got it from mum's garden but sadly mums no longer with us. 1 other Q' I know the leaves are poisonous I presume they can't go in the compost bin.

[Nobbie]

Many thanks to mumofstig for your reply to my Q'  As I said I was under that assumption but never growm rhubarb before, always got it from mum's garden but sadly mums no longer with us. 1 other Q' I know the leaves are poisonous I presume they can't go in the compost bin.

They’re poisonous to eat, but fine to go on the compost heap as the toxins are broken down and not absorbed by any plants you grow with the compost. Same goes for all poisonous plants.

[Subversive_plot]

The toxin in rhubarb leaves is mostly oxalic acid. There are some other compounds as well, but OA is the main culprit.

OA is also found in rhubarb stems (petioles) in lower concentrations than rhubarb leaves. Look up rhubarb on Wikipedia, the toxicity is explained there.

I note that before I started fencing my garden, deer routinely ate all my rhubarb leaves with no ill effects.

Bottom line, yes, you can safely compost them.

[Marijke Jones]

I just left the leaves, this season is the 2nd  season and the rhubarb is coming out of my ears lol.

[rowlandwells]

we always grow Rhubarb from seed every year and the variety we grow always makes a good Rhubarb cordial it usually takes around 3 years to actually mature for picking