At the beginning of April, rhubarb is one of the first plants to start the harvest season. Until then, the fruity, sour vegetable had hardly required any care. Nor does it intend to start now. The season is so short anyway.
When is rhubarb season?
The rhubarb season begins in April, when the stalks are smooth and ready to harvest, and ends on June 24th, St. John's Day. The short season allows the plant to regenerate by winter and reduce oxalic acid levels.
Smooth poles signal the start of the season
Of course there is no fixed date for the start of the rhubarb season. In this regard, the weather has a say. When the coveted rhubarb stalks are no longer wavy but rather smooth, the harvest can begin.
Why is rhubarb only in season for three months?
The start-up time until the first harvest for rhubarb takes one to two years. Once the plant has established itself in the bed, it goes into botanical turbo. After a problem-free overwintering, rhubarb presents stems ready for harvest in April.
From now on it's quick and easy. Anyone who has planted enough rhubarb can now harvest continuously until June 24th, St. John's Day. On this date the harvest ends for the following reasons:
- the plant should regenerate sufficiently by winter
- Stems harvested later contain a higher dose of oxalic acid, which is not good for everyone
It's over after the seventh season
A he althy rhubarb plant usually has vigor for eight to ten years. Experienced hobby gardeners do not exhaust this period to the fullest. Wisely, they now divide the cane and replant the segments elsewhere.
A five-year crop rotation is mandatory for rhubarb. It should not be cultivated for that long in a bed that already contained its species. However, if rhubarb mosaic disease occurs during a season, the break in cultivation is seven years.
Tips & Tricks
Anyone who ends the first season in the second year in mid-May will be rewarded for this careful protection of the rhubarb. The plant, which is still growing, can recover longer and develops stable vitality for many rich harvests.