Dividing/transplanting rhubarb - Ask Extension
Hello,
I know you’re not supposed to harvest rhubarb the first year of planting. Does the same go for every time they are divided or transplanted...
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Dividing/transplanting rhubarb #869379
Asked May 20, 2024, 10:30 PM EDT
Hello,
I know you’re not supposed to harvest rhubarb the first year of planting. Does the same go for every time they are divided or transplanted? They are very old plants, divisions/transplants from my great-great grandmother’s garden.
Thank you,
Alex
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
The same rule applies. It is not the age of the original plant but how well established the roots are. I usually recommend that when someone is going to transplant rhubarb, they move half of the plant and can then harvest from the remaining. The next year that remaining half is transplanted but the moved one is okay. You could pull a very few stems but your plant needs those big leaves to establish roots in that new location.