A range of leafy vegetables can be grown as cut and come again, including: Amaranth, basil, beetroot, chicory, coriander, chard, corn salad, dandelion, endive, komatsuma, land cress, leaf celery, lettuce, mizuna, mustard, pak choi, parsley, purslane, radicchio, red kale, rocket, sorrel and spinach.
Does all lettuce grow back after cutting?
Lettuce regrows once its leaves have been cut or picked off the main stem. As long as the root is intact in the ground and there are at least 1-2 inches of stem and leaves at the base, lettuce will shoot new growth in as little as a week. The cut-and-come-again harvesting method is the most popular.
Which lettuces are cut and come again?
They are often called cut-and-come-again lettuces. Cutting lettuces are mostly nonheading leaf varieties from two groups, Grand Rapids and oakleaf. The Grand Rapids group produces broad, crinkled, and frilly leaves, while the oakleaf varieties have flatter and distinctively lobed leaves.
How many times can you harvest cut and come again lettuce?
So, as long as you’re staying within their optimal growing conditions, you can harvest from lettuce at least three or four times each.
Will romaine lettuce grow back?
When you cut off the entire head at once, the roots of the romaine will often produce additional lettuce leaves. After they grow and mature, you’ll be able to glean a second harvest. You can expect to wait another 55–60 days for the second harvest.
Which is the easiest lettuce to grow?
Loose leaf lettuce, which refers to varieties that don’t form any type of head, is considered the easiest to grow. It matures in 40-45 days, but no need to wait that long to enjoy it!
What is the best time of day to pick lettuce?
Morning
Morning is the best time for the harvest as heads will be at their freshest. Learning how to pick lettuce using these guidelines allows the vegetable to be harvested at the peak of freshness. Fresh, homegrown lettuce may be washed with cool water and refrigerated after excess water is shaken off.
Will lettuce reseed itself?
Plants That Reliably Self-seed
Plenty of common edibles are excellent self-seeders – arugula, Oriental leaves such as mustard, lettuce and radishes all readily self-seed. Herbs such as chamomile, cilantro and dill will flower and self-seed easily.
Does iceberg lettuce regrow after cutting?
Yes, iceberg lettuce will regrow after cutting. Cut off the bottom of the head of lettuce and place it in a bowl or vase with water. The lettuce will start to regrow within two weeks. You can then harvest the regrown lettuce and eat it.
What is the best tasting lettuce?
Romaine. If you’ve ever had a Caesar salad, you’ve had romaine, also known as cos lettuce. With a long, upright head of crisp, pale green leaves sporting crunchy midribs, romaine—particularly the lighter leaves toward the center (the heart)—is more flavorful than some other varieties.
What is the best tasting lettuce to grow?
29 of the Best Lettuce Varieties for Your Garden
- Crisphead. Crisphead Great Lakes. Hanson Improved. Igloo. Webbs Wonderful.
- Butterhead. Bibb. Bronze Mignonette. Buttercrunch. Dynamite.
- Romaine. Cimarron. EZ Serve. Forellenschluss. Little Caesar.
- Loose Leaf. Black Seeded Simpson. Deer Tongue. Grand Rapids.
- Oak Leaf. Bronze Guard. Oakleaf.
Does lettuce need full sun?
Soil, Planting, and Care
Although lettuce grows fastest in full sun, it is one of the few vegetables that tolerates some shade. In fact, a spring crop often lasts longer if shaded from the afternoon sun as the season warms. You can grow lots of lettuce in a small space, even a container.
How often should lettuce be watered?
twice a week
Lettuce has shallow roots, so plants need consistent watering. Check at least twice a week and water if the soil is dry down to 1 inch deep. Containers of lettuce need to be watered more frequently than garden beds, especially in the summer.
Can you freeze lettuce?
Can you freeze lettuce? Not if you want to make tossed salad with the thawed out product. But for cooking and flavoring uses, yes, you can freeze lettuce. The reason you won’t be able to use the frozen lettuce to make salads is because the freezing process causes ice crystals to form in plant cells.
Why is my lettuce bitter?
Common Causes of Bitter Lettuce
Most gardeners will tell you that bitter lettuce is the result of summer heat; lettuce is known as a cool season vegetable. When temperatures rise, the plant snaps into maturation mode and bolts — sends out a stalk and flowers. It’s during this process that bitter lettuce is produced.
Does lettuce have to be replanted every year?
Head lettuce will die back, but most leaf-lettuce plants renew efforts to produce leaves, if regularly watered after trimming. Results will often be smaller than the original plant, but you may be able to harvest a second, good-tasting crop within as little as two weeks.
Should I let my lettuce go to seed?
When plants flower, it’s generally considered a good thing; however, in vegetables grown for their leaves, such as lettuce, spinach, cabbage, and other cole crops, bolting causes the flavor to turn bitter and the leaves to get smaller and tougher, making them inedible.
Do you replant lettuce every year?
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum), dill (Anethum graveolens), basil (Ocimum basilicum), parsley (Petroselinum crispum), lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and spinach (Spinacia oleracea) are just a few examples of the many plants that can return to your garden each year by spreading their own seeds.
Why is my leaf lettuce growing tall?
ANSWER: Lettuce plants that suddenly start stretching toward the sky and growing extra tall are likely to be bolting. In the bolting stage, a plant stops focusing so much on producing foliage and starts to turn its attention toward reproduction, sending out a flower stalk that will eventually dry to release seeds.
Lorraine Wade is all about natural food. She loves to cook and bake, and she’s always experimenting with new recipes. Her friends and family are the lucky beneficiaries of her culinary skills! Lorraine also enjoys hiking and exploring nature. She’s a friendly person who loves to chat with others, and she’s always looking for ways to help out in her community.