The conventional wisdom is to only harvest lightly or not at all the first year, so that it can establish a strong, extensive root system. If the plant is vigorous, I think it's OK to take a few stalks. Leave the majority for sure. Taking 20%, which would leave 80% of the leaves in place, should be safe.

Alex

I planted four mid-size pots in May and have harvested twice from them. I think removing most of the leaves helped the roots/plants settle in which having to supply water to so much foliage. I have been keeping them watered as they are marginal here in the heat of the summer. I figured they might be stressed in the summer any way and ....

I'd rather have rhubarb pie now, then yellow stalks in August!!!!!

They seem to be doing well and have all put up another crop.

Amy:

You don't say where you are located, but if your zone 5 is anywhere in the upper Midwest or Northeastern states, you are in rhubarb country, and you can do just about anything to a rhubarb plant and it will come back strong. Assuming, of course, you water the plants in extremely dry conditions.

My Northern Virginia climate is like Jakes, and we really have to baby our rhubarb along even to get it to survive, especially the higher quality red varieties like McDonald and Valentine. It is easier to grow the coarser green variety Victoria, even here, but most of us prefer the varieties that have more red in them.

If I lived in Wisconsin, Minnesota, or Iowa, I wouldn't have any problem harvesting rhubarb the first season, but would be cautious about doing it here, where it get hotter longer, and the winters tend to be milder. Rhubarb loves cold winters.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Thanks for the replies. I'm in Eastern Washington. I wish I knew the variety of rhubarb I have. I know it's supposed to be red; a friend picked it up at a nursery as she knew I was in search of red rhubarb to plant. Although looking at it the stalks don't look all that red to me. ????? I don't know much about rhubarb, but I do love it and want to get a few more plants started.

~Amy

Jake, I have an impression similar to Dons and I would not harvest so much so early. It took me a long time to get rhubarb established in our warmer climate. After two failures I decided to try it out in many different locations and of half a dozen spots two ended up working. These spots are mostly in the shade. I didn't harvest for three years to give them the best chance to get established.

Amy, you shouldn't have any such problems given your climate which sounds great for rhubarb. Re: the stalks, some varieties are redder than others. I have Valentine and McDonald; the former is mostly red and the latter is not nearly as red.

Scott