I was giving a bit/ chunk of rhubarb by my mum and she told me that I couldnt harvest the stems for a year afterwards and it would be 2 years before I could force the stems. This was 4 years ago and the chunk has now become a clump !

But by rhubarb has been a little disappointing this year, I have put that down to the dry spring we had this year.

Leave it alone this year - in spring, add some well composted manure around the plant and you can start cropping from it next year - but never take all the stalks, and don't crop past mid to end of July, depending on the variety.

Having said that though I have sometimes picked the lot just before the first frost and made jam with it, rather than have it lie down and die.