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Our rhubarb has grown quite large while away on holiday. It has many massive stems on it but I've always thought that they can't be harvested after the end of June due to the oxalic acid seeping into the stems and making them unusable. I don't know what variety we have as the root was given to us a couple of years ago (do you even get late fruiting rhubarb?)

Now, do I,
Use whats on there? (Om nom nom )
Thin it back leaving half a dozen stems or so and chuck what I get off of it on the compost?
Or just leave it for this year and be more vigilant next year, picking all that I can?

It's very late for rhubarb, Geebogs. You may find that a lot of those stems are hollow and fibrous. If they're not, by all means pick some of them and use them (even at that stage, they're still OK for wine, by the way).

The reason for the cessation of picking, by the way, has nothing to do with oxalic acid, which is present at all stages of the plant's development - it really is, as you've already pointed out, to give the plant a chance to gather its resources for the following year's growth.

Mike

Thanks Mike,

Although they are a tiny bit on the fibrous side (nothing a little stewing for crumble won't fix), they are by no means hollow.
I think I'll pick half and let the plant have the rest. Although, there are a good few new shoots coming up already. When do these thing s stop growing!?

About April, when it stops raining.

Gonna chuck mine as it's a waste of space and nothing to pick as it spends all winter in hibernation and all summer in hibernation.

I have loads of good rhubarb stems - picked some for friends the day before yesterday. I can usually pick from end of February through to end of September. Tons of new stems appearing each week still.

As long as the stems are OK we always carry on picking as and when needed, once stewed they taste just fine.

Sue