If, like me, you’ve been strolling out to your garden, knife in hand, and slicing rhubarb stalks like you’re playing Fruit Ninja (remember that game?), it’s time to put the cutting implement down. It appears we’ve been cutting our rhubarb the wrong way.
I didn’t even know there was a ‘right’ way, but now that I know, it makes sense.
There’s a better way to harvest rhubarb, and it doesn’t involve anything sharp. (Which is good news for those of us prone to slicing fingers open. Hi, friends!)
It seems that the best way to harvest rhubarb is to twist stalks off at the base of the plant, not cut them. Give me five minutes, and I’ll tell you why your rhubarb patch will thank you—and how to do the twist and pull.
(No affiliation with the Bend & Snap of Jennifer Coolidge fame.)
How Do I Know When My Rhubarb Is Ready to Harvest?
I love rhubarb; it basically grows on autopilot, and it’s easy to tell when it’s ready to pick. There’s no waiting for it to turn a certain color, reach a specific firmness or smell a certain way. It just gets…tall.
As soon as the stalks are about 10-12 inches long and thick enough to hold up those huge leaves, they’re ready to go.
Red ≠ Ready
As gorgeous as those bright fuchsia stalks are, color does not indicate readiness. Some varieties stay green, and some turn red; it all depends on what you planted. Likewise, red doesn’t mean it’s sweeter, either. Rhubarb is meant to be pleasantly tart and tangy, we add the sweet in the kitchen.
The Twist-and-Pull Method of Picking Rhubarb
The idea is simple: you want to twist and pull the stalk as close to the ground as possible. There’s a bit of a trick to it, but once you get it right, you’ll know it.
Grasp the stalk right down near the soil and firmly twist it while giving it a firm tug upward. The stalk should kind of pop out. You don’t need brute strength here. Just be firm with your twist and pull.
It’s similar to getting a firm hold of a dandelion before pulling it up, tap root and all – minus the part where the tap root snaps off, and you fall backwards on your butt. Not that anything like that has ever happened to me.
Ahem, back to rhubarb.
Now, here’s where you can use a knife or scissors. Cut off the giant leaf. Remember, rhubarb leaves are toxic. You can not eat them! However, if you don’t want to pitch them into the compost, there are some cool things you can do with rhubarb leaves. (I really want to do #2 this summer!)
Why Cutting Rhubarb Is Hurting Your Plant
Okay, now to the important part – why are we twisting and pulling and not cutting our rhubarb? Because I’m going to be honest, as a lazy gardener, cutting rhubarb seems a lot easier.
However, there are a couple of problems with this method.
The stub of the cut stalk left behind is now an open wound on the plant. Until the cut scabs over, which takes a few days, it’s an open door for plant pathogens. This is how disease often enters a plant – through a cut. So, when you cut enough stalks for a rhubarb crisp or to make strawberry rhubarb jam, you’re leaving lots of entry points for disease.
Also, when you twist a stalk off, it sends a clear message to the crown of the plant: “This one is gone; we had better grow another.” But when you leave behind a stub, the plant doesn’t get that same signal. So, instead of sending up more juicy stalks, it puts energy into healing the cut stalks instead of making new ones.
Benefits of the Twist-and-Pull Method
Aside from the obvious benefit of encouraging more growth, which means more rhubarb crisp in your future, there are a couple of other benefits to twisting and pulling.
The crown of the plant stays cleaner (no gross rotting stubs), which means less likelihood of disease. It can also extend the life of the plant. Rhubarb plants are usually productive for around ten to fifteen years as long as they’re well cared for. By pulling and twisting, you can easily extend the life and health of your rhubarb patch.
A Few Quick Rhubarb Tips
Before we finish up and go outside to twist and pull some rhubarb, here are a few things to remember about everyone’s favorite perennial pie-making plant.
- Year one: Hands off. Let the plant get established.
- Year two: Be gentle. Twist and pull a few stalks here and there.
- Year three and beyond: Go nuts. But don’t harvest more than half the stalks at a time.
- Cut the season off around July. Let the plant rest and recharge before fall.
- Always remove the leaves. They belong in the compost, not in the kitchen!
- Keep an eye on your plant for flower stalks emerging. If they do, you need to act fast.
And that’s all there is to it. So next time you head out to the rhubarb patch, skip the scissors and use your hands. Grab, twist, pull. Your rhubarb will thank you…by making more rhubarb. It doesn’t seem like much, but it’s one of those little gardening tips that can make a big difference in the health and productivity of your plant.
Now, go give your rhubarb a good twist. You’ve got a pie to make. This pie, in fact.
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