Rhubarb question.

!st year on my plot and I am lucky enough to have lots of established Rhub. I have no idea which variety they are but are already about 3' high. Although I expect the plants to stop producing more stalks at some stage, will the stalks already produced last for any length of time on the plant or does it need to be pulled straight away?

Thanks in advance.

Rhubarb will keep producing stalks until autumn / winter and start again Jan-March depending on the variety. It will die back completely in the winter. The stalks don't 'keep' on the plant, the older stalks (around the outside ) are stringier and tougher, but still edible.

You can pick stalks at almost any time, but reduce or stop completely about July to allow the plant time to recover and build strength for the next season.

If you force rhubarb (keep it in the dark early on to produce pale allegedly sweeter stalks) you should severely restrict picking in any given year as forcing weakens the plant.