How to Cut Lettuce So It Keeps Growing
"Cutting lettuces," also known as "cut and come again" lettuces, grow despite being cut and are ideal for gardeners who love their lettuce. These types of lettuces are more loose-leaf and don't have a head like traditional iceberg lettuce does. Sow plants once a week to ensure adequate supply and growth time between harvests. Plan on growing about at least 3 feet of lettuce per adult in your family. Plant more lettuce for vegetarians or those who eat salad regularly. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Growing and Cutting Instructions
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Plant lettuces at the spacing, depth and time indicated on the product packaging. Exact details may vary based on the type of lettuces you choose to grow.
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Water the lettuce about 1 inch each week. While lettuce grows in soils that are less than ideal, the plant requires adequate water levels to thrive.
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Remove all dirt and rust from the scissors with a damp towel and sterilize them with isopropyl alcohol on all the cutting surfaces. This ensures you don't spread disease around the garden.
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Harvest lettuce leaves when they are large enough to use. Cut the leaves 1 inch above the soil level with a pair of clean scissors. Avoid tearing the leaves, which causes the leaves to release a gas.
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Reharvest the same plant when the leaves are large enough to use, normally about three to four weeks. Stop harvesting from the plant when the leaves taste bitter or it becomes unproductive.
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Till the spent plant into the ground or remove it by hand and add to a compost heap.
Lettuce Storage Instructions
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Rinse off lettuce to remove dirt and dust.
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Dry lettuce with a spinner or drip dry.
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Place the lettuce in a plastic bag with a clean paper towel. Lettuce keeps best at 32 degrees Fahrenheit with 96 percent humidity.
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Tips & Warnings
Although almost any loose-leaf lettuce will grow back after cutting, the Vegetable Gardener website suggests planting varieties such as the black seeded Simpson, oakleaf, salad bowl and the lollo rosa or lollo biondo.
References
- Vegetable Gardener; Cut and Come Again Lettuce Sampler; November 2009
- University of Illinois Extension; Watch Your Garden Grow: Lettuce
- Penn State College of Agriculture Sciences; The Reading Gardener: "Lettuce" Eat Salad; Kathy Rohrbaugh; October 2010
- University of Maryland College of Agriculture & Natural Resources; Grow It Eat It: Harvesting and Salad Prep; Jon Traunfeld; March 2009
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
