Gardeners are being urged to remove flower stalks from rhubarb plants immediately to ensure a bumper harvest. According to Holly, founder of Budding Homestead, cutting back the flowers is a simple 30-second task that can save the crop.
Rhubarb typically bolts after a heatwave, when sudden temperature changes stress the plant. This causes it to divert energy into flower and seed production, resulting in smaller, thinner, and less flavourful stalks. However, Holly insists that unlike lettuce, bolted rhubarb is not ruined.
“Chop those flower stalks back and you’ll still be on a sweet road to an early summer of rhubarb custard,” she advised. The flowers can be snapped off by hand in June, as they are fragile enough to break easily.
To prevent bolting, gardeners should water rhubarb regularly during hot weather, mulch around the roots to keep them cool, and avoid harvesting on hot days. Checking the plant every few days for flowers and removing them promptly will yield bigger, juicier stalks.
Rhubarb is resilient and can recover quickly with minimal effort, making early June the perfect time to secure a plentiful harvest.
