Is my Rhubarb ready for harvesting?

[Ethnod]

So myself and my partner bought some Rhubarb seeds last year and we planted them. Now nothing came up that year but we were told that would happen but in fairness I expected something but nothing, no leaves, stalks nothing. To be honest I assumed it was dead.

We moved house and originally it was in a pot, a large one but a pot none the less. After the move (at the time we were away) I realised that one of the pots (the rhubarb one) had been knocked over and some of the earth spilled out. That was last year, but where the Rhubarb is now is not in the pot, seems that some of the spillage contained a spore or something that took there in the shade and its doing incredible, its not where I would have placed it but there it is. The growth has been incredible, I cant get over the growth really.

I have been reading up a bit and it seems that you are not supposed to take anything from the plant in the first year and then the second year only a small amount (One third or so max) and then the 3rd year all bets are off.
So, firstly I don't know if this would be considered the 1st year or second year and secondly, what I have read has told me that the reason for leaving it alone is because you want it to take hold but this plant is so large.

So, can I harvest it this year? If so, how large do the stalks need to be? Any guidelines?
Please see pictures attached for visual examples

[tomc]

Rhubarb is a member of the buckwheat family. So it was seed not spoor. Rhubarb's best range is in the north (zones 4-5-6). It will fade and die off if there is not cold dormant season for it to slumber in.

Let it grow this year. Take one third next year. Take it till the stalks get thin or distorted 2015.

Rhubarb does better with heat stress with a thick layer of mulch. It also helps fertilize it.

[applestar]

Rhubarb has a very thick extensive root system. In fact, rhubarb doesn't do very well in a pot/container unless it's a big one. I think what might have happened is that the roots found their way out of the drainage holes down into he ground underneath and got broken off, and managed to propagate itself from the root cutting. You must have picked a good spot since it looks very happy there.

[Ethnod]

Rhubarb has a very thick extensive root system. In fact, rhubarb doesn't do very well in a pot/container unless it's a big one. I think what might have happened is that the roots found their way out of the drainage holes down into he ground underneath and got broken off, and managed to propagate itself from the root cutting. You must have picked a good spot since it looks very happy there.

It was a complete accident, like I said we assumed it was dead. The pot it was in is quite big though, I blackberry plants in ones the same size and they are growing very large (4-5 shoots each running between 10-14 feet long) however that pot never took, not in the slightest, nothing came up at all.

So I should leave it for another year minimum? Man I love Rhubarb so much, this is going to be hard lol

[jal_ut]

Hmmmmm........ I think I would sneak a few leaves myself.............

[rainbowgardener]

It looks quite happy and healthy and I would think as jal_ut said, that you could harvest a few stalks. My rhubarb tends to produce short stalks early in the season. If I harvest those, the next ones come back longer.