When to pick rhubarb?

A great crop of rhubarb is growing in my garden. When to harvest? Should I wait until mid to late June to give it a chance to get a little bigger???

Rhubarb quality is best in cool weather. By late June the stems are likely to be stringy and too acid with unbalanced flavor.

Picking the outer stems now encourages more production of new stalks near the center of the plants. I started picking almost two weeks ago using large stalks that were about a foot and a half long after the leaves were cut off. These would not have gotten much larger but would have lost quality if not picked.

I just picked some this weekend. It seemed to be perfect right now.

thanks everyone

Another question. Rhubarb is still growing but everyone says not to pick it. Should I leave it there or cut it back in fall? How can I assure to get a good crop next year? Can a fall crop be harvested?

Rhubarb develops a pretty large root, which contains the nutrients needed for spring growth. Foliage in summer and fall generates the sugars stored in the root and is critical for next spring's crop. Rhubarb leaves collapse in the fall after frost and can be allowed to rot in place over the winter thereby releasing their nutrients back into the soil. Mulching rhubarb plants with an inch or two of compost in the summer is a good way to fertilize them gently. Picking some stems in the fall may be OK for eating, but you will pay for it in reduced production next spring.