Marianne's Response

When to harvest Victoria rhubarb

I live in Auburn WA and not sure what to do with my rhubarb plant. It is a Victoria and from what I’ve read it doesn’t turn red. Can I still harvest it?

Posted by mdumaine on August 10, 2015

Marianne's Response

Yes you can harvest the green stalks on your Victoria rhubarb as some varieties never turn red. Wait until the plant is 3 to 4 years old to harvest and cut off any flowering stalks that appear. Rhubarb prefers cool weather so the best harvest is in the spring but if you keep the plants watered and add a manure mulch each year you may be able to harvest stalks all summer, leaving behind at least one third of the leaves to make more rhubarb. I just enjoyed some rhubarb cake made from my plants that have been providing rhubarb for the last 15 years. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti