Rhubarb About to Flower??

I planted 3 Rhubarb plants last year and resisted picking any stalks, leaving them to build up strength and get a good root system down. They've all sprung into life over the last 2 weeks and there's plenty of new growth; but on checking them more closely today at least 1 of them has what looks like a large flower bud emerging.

Should I leave it or try and remove it to direct it's strength in to leaf/stalk production?

Any tips please?

Thanks

 

It's bolting. Cut it off Bilbo, water and mulch the plant.

Steve...

 

Most people take them off, I think the plant "bleeds" like a stuck pig if you do, and Christo Lloyd always left his on as he liked to see them flower and thought it made no difference to the plant's "production".

But by all means take the flower stalk off

(You're sure its a flower? My leaves have only just started to appear ... but mine usually carry flower stalks at some point in most years)

 

My thoughts also, as my leaf buds are just starting to show and I'm a long way south of Derbyshire. Do they look like this Bilbo:



Although I guess there could be some rhubarb flower buds about as I saw full blown flowers in the 2nd week in April on holiday in West Somerset last year:

 

Hi Scrungee, yes that's the one, it's just a little more advanced than that and starting to open; you can see all the small flower buds..