10/12/2026
My rule of thumb for harvesting rhubarb this time of year.
If your temps start getting close to the freezer stage watch your stalks. If they are standing straight and tall they are still growing and are ok. If they start to lean a bit over, and they are still hard from the squeeze test, go ahead and harvest them now or very soon. If you have taken a freeze, check them early morning. If they are still hard, harvest them that day. Pull the stalk and cut leaf off right afterwards. This helps keep your stalks firm. If its a lot of rhubarb, clean cut and get them in the freezer as fast as you can. Yes its OK to harvest it all, even the shortest of stalks. The first freeze of the season starts your dormancy period even if it warms up and you do get new growth. Now to help your plants be ready for next spring, let mother nature do her job and cover them naturally. What ever leaves fall from trees leave them be over your rhubarb plants. Same goes with the snow. If your not getting snow like most years in SW Kansas, at least once a month go out and give your plants a winter drink of water. This helps keep your ground from cracking and opening up to the roots. Open roots to the cold can hurt your plants. It won't kill your roots it just postponed the early start in spring until the first spring rain comes. I hope my knowledge of winter dormancy helps you have a early spring crop.
