cutting established rhubarb

Question

How close can I cut my well established rhubarb? I have friends asking me to share cut rhubarb stalks. My plants are quite well established, so I need to know how much I can cut the plant back with out jeopardizing root strength for next year.

Answer 1

Generally, you want to only cut back the plant by 1/3 in order to preserve the strength of the plant. it is not so much a matter of how far down the stalk you cut, but rather how much of the leaves you take. You can cut stalks right down near the base of the plant but try not to remove any more than 1/3 of the leaves in one season.