This is the Best Way to Harvest Leaf Lettuce so it Keeps Growing Back!
During the Fall and Winter, we grew one of my favorite vegetables to start from seed, leaf lettuce. These beauties are usually ready to start harvesting 30 days after planting but did you know there is a way to extend those harvest per plant without the need to succession sow. This method is called the “Cut and Come Again Method”.
What is Cut-And-Come Again?
In this video I am sharing how I harvest my leaf lettuce so it keeps growing back.
The Cut-and-come-again method involves two similar ways of harvesting. The first being cutting only the older outer leaves of the leafy green vegetables, leaving the center in place. Another option is to harvest the entire lettuce but leaving 3 inches on the plant. The tools you will need are a sharp knife if doing the second option.
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How To Harvest Leaf Lettuce Using Two Methods:
Method 1: Cutting
The variety above is the Grand Rapids Leaf Lettuce. To make things easier, gather the leaves in one of your hands and with the other, use the knife to make a cut a few inches above the soil. By leaving 3-4 inches of the plant, it will encourage more leaves to grow back. In about 2-3 weeks the lettuce should be ready to harvest again. You can do this method 2 more times per plant depending on the variety. Just be sure to keep them well watered as they begin to grow back.
Method 2: Picking
When it came to the Tango Red Leaf Lettuce variety, I chose to pick the outer leaves since the plant was small. Using your hands allows better control over which leaves you want to pick. I could of waited for these to get bigger but the good thing about lettuce is that you can pick them at any stage which means less waiting for us!
As I harvested throughout the Fall season, I noticed that the Tango Red Leaf Lettuce responded better to the cut-and-come again method more than the Grand Rapids Leaf Lettuce, in that it gave me more harvest. Regardless of that, it was still interesting to see the leaves continue to grow back. It saved me time and seeds since I did have to worry about succession sowing over the cold winter months. This was great because we had a harsh winter and I did not want to be outdoors for longer than I had to lol!
Both seed varieties were purchased at MI Gardener.
As you begin to plan for your spring gardens , I highly recommend starting with leaf lettuce seeds if you have never grown them before. They are simple for beginner gardeners and give you instant gratification since you are able to start harvesting the leaves in as little as 30 days.
Will you be using the cut-and-and come again harvest method next time you grow leaf lettuce? Let me know below!! You can even give it a try on your other leafy greens as well! I tried it on Swiss Chard this past fall and it responded well!
Happy Gardening!!
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