So I did it wrong, but my way was working too. Maybe even better. I just took some of the outer leaves. 1 or 2 of every plant is enough for me, because these leafs are the biggest. This way I could harvest every day or every other day for at least 2 months in a row and don't have to wait for weeks till it grows back. The salads will eventually grow upward and develop some kind of stem.
You're not doing it wrong, just another way! That's the way I've always done it too. Luke's way is more efficient, but I do see a lot of green left to die off. If it's outside, I feel like that's inviting disease and pests. I could be wrong though.
I have raised beds and I’ve always done the harvest by cutting the outer leaves as I’ve needed…it has worked wonderfully well! I think I might try a couple of grow bags to harvest Luke’s method and see how it goes!
This is my preferred method also. I grow at least 5 different varieties and have a mixed greens salad every day for the season. Gardening for one is a totally different ball game.
I was letting my 3 year old granddaughter help plant some lettuce and she was not careful about where the seeds went. She kept saying "salad is my favorite food!", which it is. It will be fun to harvest what she has planted. Everything all mixed together. Salad bowl!
Game changer! I've been cutting ONE LEAF AT A TIME. Thanks, Luke, for showing us a better way. I immediately went to my lettuce bed to efficiently harvest a bowl of salad.
I've always done it this way too. It's more efficient Luke's way, but I do see a fair bit of green left to die off. I think if it's outside, that'd be asking for disease. I could be wrong though
Since watching your video from a few years ago I've grown cut and come again lettuce every year since. It's the video when you demonstrated cut & come again by direct sowing seed outdoors in rows. I take care to vary the varieties in each of the rows so they will contrast one another in both color and texture, the result is both beautiful & delicious!
This is really cool! I hate thinning plants so I'll take any excuse not to thin my lettuce :D Can you do this with spinach and kale too? I eat a lot more spinach than anything else, and this would be great.
I really appreciate you circling back to this topic. I have watched your other videos on this topic but there were some things I didn’t understand fully - like how much you need to plant and long long you can cut and come again if you are two people and you want to eat a meal sized salad 3x a week.
I grow lettuce in my greenstalk containers an only harvest the amount I need, which might only be a few leaves from each of my 15 plants. Just feeding 2 people.
(Zone 5) Just planted my lettuce varieties and spinach. I'll have lettuce until the ground freezes again at year's end. Onions next! I love this time of year!
Are you direct sowing or transplanting out some you started indoors? Do you use a hoop house or row cover to protect them and warm the soil a little? I'm wanting to plant some peas lettuce and spinach outside but there are still many nights below freezing in zone 5b/6.
@@bloomwhereyoureplantedgard41 No, I plant cold-tolerant varieties in April as soon as we've had daytime temps in the upper 40s/low 50s, summer varieties in mid to late May, and cold tolerant varieties again around the 3rd week of August.
@@TheMistyBlueLounge Mainly, I direct sow with more in my Greenstalk. I plant only cold tolerant varieties in April. (lettuces: Winter Marvel, Green Forest, Monte Carlo, Winter Density, Merlot, Dragoon, Waldman's Green, etc. - spinach: Bloomsdale, Winter Giant)
I'd suggest a part 2 to this video. "So You've Cut a Lot of Lettuce. Now What?" If you want to keep it a few days, do you wash it now or right before using? Do you refrigerate in containers, paper bags, plastic? I've had lots of success with the "Cut" stage but not so much on the "Storage" stage.
Red romaine lettuce is my favorite lettuce to grow and I grown as a cut-and-come-again lettuce. I peel the outer leaves off as the plants get bigger and by mid summer i've got tall lettuce stalks in my garden
I didn't realize you could grow the lettuce so closely together. What size container are you using? Approximately how many plants in a container that size? Thanks for the video!
I’m so glad I watched this! Someone told me to pick the outside leaves and tear them at the stalk, so I kept ending up with “leggy” greens. I’ll be cutting from now on, thanks!
Well you just made me very happy! Here I`ve been doin it by taking just lower leaves. I`ve been fortunate to grow it all year round here in SC... in the shade & under lightweight frost cover all year. Now I can grow even more & sowing seeds every week or 2! Thank you..I learn something new with all your videos! :)
I'm so glad you demonstrated this. I was taking leaves from the outside, but then the inside leaves would grow too big and become bitter. Also, I never thought of using a knife to cut the lettuce with. Thank you for the info! Have a great day!
This is the best! I did this last year and it was amazing! I have so many seeds for this year because I didn’t have to keep sowing! Thanks so much for all the tips!
Thanks Luke. I was doing it correctly but I would sometimes go to low and didn’t understand why that particular variety was a problem. It wasn’t the plant it was me! 😢.
In your video when you transplanted these into the greenhouse you said lettuce doesn't like wet soil, but in this one you say it likes damp soil. Which is it? Just curious. I normally grow it in outdoor conditions with no problem in my area but I'm also considering a greenhouse option for more in the coldest winter months we have.
Great video! I bought a bunch of your seeds and loooove them!!!!! Are there any varieties of lettuce that you can’t cut & come again? Besides romaine or the lettuce you grow for big leaves like you stated?
I have always done this. Never understood harvesting the whole plant. But I just rip off the outside leafs on multiple plants. I'll try this way this year along side my method and see which I like.
You can indeed, they will however bolt after about 60 days depending on the setup though. So ideally if you can you can cycle them outsides for pollinators to enjoy and/or to harvest/drop seeds.
How fast do they grow? If I had like 3 bowls would that be enough in between cuttings? Do I need to use the fiber pots are my extra plastic shurb pots ok to use?
Yup, I started growing lettuce indoors this winter and, in spite of only having a few, I got more leaves than I could eat. As an experiment I put half the plants outdoors in cloches. In spite of some sub-zero temps they survived and are now even more successful; I’m blown way! 🥬🍾❤️
Thank you for sharing your experience with us on your channel. I am getting back into gardening and doing it using fabric pots with peas. I may do some lettuce 🥬 after watching this video. Btw, I am in zone 8a.
If you are direct sowing the seeds, how close would you put them? Or do you just sprinkle them randomly and let them do their own thing? Does cut and come again harvesting work for spinach as well?
What's the pros and cons of doing cut and come again by cutting the top off vs. harvesting the outside leaves? I have done harvesting outside leaves and it seems to benefit the plants by giving them room to grow as well as giving you larger in tact leaves each harvest.
I've always picked off the outer leaves, but I also was having to plant lettuce super close together to keep the soil shaded (Texas, even January can have 90 degree days). When plants are crowded that can be a pain. This looks much easier.
PSA: slipped with knife and almost needed stitches, really sharp knife, going to get kevlar glove(s) for left hand. I heard that you can't cut and come again with spinach, i do it all the time, if i can keep the chickens from getting to the pots.
You can also use shade cloth (or similar) to also keep them from bolting as well. People do this on purpose for pre-last frosts' for many tropic plants and trees from budding and it's works QUITE well. Particularly if the containers/fabrics are well breathing and/or light colored to make sure they stays cooler during these heat waves.
So, at what temps will it be game over for the bucket of lettuce? I've started some by Winter Sowing, and they are soon to be put into their forever pots. It seems to be heating up quickly in Metro Detroit! Just wondering how long they will last before bolting?
I have been trying to grow lettuce for a year now and can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong. I have tried different seeds, different seed brands, different soil types, etc etc and they never get taller than microgreens. The leaves - my radish microgreens have bigger leaves. The lettuce just reaches a certain point and stops growing. They’re getting plentiful sun, soil is kept nice and moist. I even tried “greenhouse” style with a gallon jug and that didn’t work either. Would welcome any suggestions that maybe I haven’t tried.
I was wondering how often should you water Lettuce a week, I used to water mine everyday and soak it and I think I messed them up because the outter lettuce would get brown and die and there was no signs of bugs or anything eating the plants.
i also do leave a few go to seeds... pollinators love them .. and i replant those same seeds in middle august or so and i can harvest until november those last years.... montreal canada here :-)
That the beauty of self harvesting, you can store at reasonable room temperatures for quite awhile since you didn't shock them with intensive processing. That usually by flash chilling produce before hitting stores and possibly even farmer markets' stands.
This guy has done more to improve my gardening than any other RUclipsr. Amazing info packed into EVERY video. Thank you!!!! Big fan!😊
Me too! I credit all my garden success to Luke! I literally learned how to garden from MiGardener
I’ve got 6 17 gallon tubs on my porch growing 3 lettuces, 5 Asian greens, celery, spinach, & Swiss chard, in the cool, after I’ll put in summer crops.
So I did it wrong, but my way was working too. Maybe even better. I just took some of the outer leaves. 1 or 2 of every plant is enough for me, because these leafs are the biggest. This way I could harvest every day or every other day for at least 2 months in a row and don't have to wait for weeks till it grows back. The salads will eventually grow upward and develop some kind of stem.
You're not doing it wrong, just another way!
That's the way I've always done it too. Luke's way is more efficient, but I do see a lot of green left to die off. If it's outside, I feel like that's inviting disease and pests. I could be wrong though.
I have raised beds and I’ve always done the harvest by cutting the outer leaves as I’ve needed…it has worked wonderfully well! I think I might try a couple of grow bags to harvest Luke’s method and see how it goes!
This is my preferred method also. I grow at least 5 different varieties and have a mixed greens salad every day for the season. Gardening for one is a totally different ball game.
Been doing the same for many years. Works for me.
I was letting my 3 year old granddaughter help plant some lettuce and she was not careful about where the seeds went. She kept saying "salad is my favorite food!", which it is. It will be fun to harvest what she has planted. Everything all mixed together. Salad bowl!
Game changer! I've been cutting ONE LEAF AT A TIME. Thanks, Luke, for showing us a better way. I immediately went to my lettuce bed to efficiently harvest a bowl of salad.
I do cut and come again, and my romaine just keeps growing.
Thanks Luke!
I've harvested by just taking the outer leaves but this is more efficient. 🙂
Blessings! 💚
I do the same, only 2 of us to feed so really don't need tons :)
I've always done it this way too. It's more efficient Luke's way, but I do see a fair bit of green left to die off. I think if it's outside, that'd be asking for disease. I could be wrong though
Since watching your video from a few years ago I've grown cut and come again lettuce every year since. It's the video when you demonstrated cut & come again by direct sowing seed outdoors in rows. I take care to vary the varieties in each of the rows so they will contrast one another in both color and texture, the result is both beautiful & delicious!
I've grown leaf lettuce so I could do this, never knew I could do that with the other types of lettuce!!!! Thanks for the tip!!!
Another banger, very important video right there
This is really cool! I hate thinning plants so I'll take any excuse not to thin my lettuce :D Can you do this with spinach and kale too? I eat a lot more spinach than anything else, and this would be great.
I really appreciate you circling back to this topic. I have watched your other videos on this topic but there were some things I didn’t understand fully - like how much you need to plant and long long you can cut and come again if you are two people and you want to eat a meal sized salad 3x a week.
I grow lettuce in my greenstalk containers an only harvest the amount I need, which might only be a few leaves from each of my 15 plants. Just feeding 2 people.
(Zone 5) Just planted my lettuce varieties and spinach. I'll have lettuce until the ground freezes again at year's end. Onions next! I love this time of year!
Do you keep them in part shade during the hot summer months?
Are you direct sowing or transplanting out some you started indoors? Do you use a hoop house or row cover to protect them and warm the soil a little?
I'm wanting to plant some peas lettuce and spinach outside but there are still many nights below freezing in zone 5b/6.
@@bloomwhereyoureplantedgard41 No, I plant cold-tolerant varieties in April as soon as we've had daytime temps in the upper 40s/low 50s, summer varieties in mid to late May, and cold tolerant varieties again around the 3rd week of August.
@@TheMistyBlueLounge Mainly, I direct sow with more in my Greenstalk. I plant only cold tolerant varieties in April. (lettuces: Winter Marvel, Green Forest, Monte Carlo, Winter Density, Merlot, Dragoon, Waldman's Green, etc. - spinach: Bloomsdale, Winter Giant)
Thanks for the tips on lettuce! Luke
I'd suggest a part 2 to this video. "So You've Cut a Lot of Lettuce. Now What?" If you want to keep it a few days, do you wash it now or right before using? Do you refrigerate in containers, paper bags, plastic? I've had lots of success with the "Cut" stage but not so much on the "Storage" stage.
Have been taking leaves from the outside at the base. Will try this new method this year.
Thank you for clarifying and showing this method. I will definitely be trying this in my garden this year. 😊
Red romaine lettuce is my favorite lettuce to grow and I grown as a cut-and-come-again lettuce. I peel the outer leaves off as the plants get bigger and by mid summer i've got tall lettuce stalks in my garden
I didn't realize you could grow the lettuce so closely together. What size container are you using? Approximately how many plants in a container that size? Thanks for the video!
I love learning something new every day. This I definitely needed to know. Thank you!
I’m so glad I watched this! Someone told me to pick the outside leaves and tear them at the stalk, so I kept ending up with “leggy” greens. I’ll be cutting from now on, thanks!
I hope to get some different lettuce and greens going once I get our new garden built…or might just start growing in containers.
All of your videos are awesome!!! I've been gardening for many many years but I learn something from every amazing video!!!
Well you just made me very happy! Here I`ve been doin it by taking just lower leaves. I`ve been fortunate to grow it all year round here in SC... in the shade & under lightweight frost cover all year. Now I can grow even more & sowing seeds every week or 2! Thank you..I learn something new with all your videos! :)
I have been cutting like this, I followed you in another video doing this. Reminders are always a help.
Nice. A youtuber that has something new to offer, a rare occurence
Thank you as always Luke, you are so appreciated! 🙏🙏🙏
I'm so glad you demonstrated this. I was taking leaves from the outside, but then the inside leaves would grow too big and become bitter. Also, I never thought of using a knife to cut the lettuce with. Thank you for the info! Have a great day!
LOVE IT ❤ thanks 🥰
I planted Lettuce last year and it survived the winter zone 5. It never died. Even with temps in the single digits. I'm amazed.
Did you bring it inside? Fellow 5th zoner here
Perfect timing on this video. Thanks!!!
Hiii❤❤💞💞
First,yes love your videos and look forward to each new one!
So, I was cutting mine too short last year, thanks, Lucas!
This is the best! I did this last year and it was amazing! I have so many seeds for this year because I didn’t have to keep sowing! Thanks so much for all the tips!
Thanks Luke. I was doing it correctly but I would sometimes go to low and didn’t understand why that particular variety was a problem. It wasn’t the plant it was me! 😢.
my favorite salad lettuce
I have a bowl of lettuce in the sunroom coming up now. I will be planting a second container soon.
Great tips as always! Thank you!
In your video when you transplanted these into the greenhouse you said lettuce doesn't like wet soil, but in this one you say it likes damp soil. Which is it? Just curious. I normally grow it in outdoor conditions with no problem in my area but I'm also considering a greenhouse option for more in the coldest winter months we have.
Great video! I bought a bunch of your seeds and loooove them!!!!! Are there any varieties of lettuce that you can’t cut & come again? Besides romaine or the lettuce you grow for big leaves like you stated?
I have always done this. Never understood harvesting the whole plant. But I just rip off the outside leafs on multiple plants. I'll try this way this year along side my method and see which I like.
Does this work with arugula or mustard greens? Thanks for this video too! My lettuces are growing now and will try this when I harvest.
One of your best videos.
Can you grow lettuce like that indoors under a grow light and harvest it indoors?
You can indeed, they will however bolt after about 60 days depending on the setup though. So ideally if you can you can cycle them outsides for pollinators to enjoy and/or to harvest/drop seeds.
@@rickytorres9089 Thanks
@@CookingLessonsforDad You are so much always welcome. :)
What kind of soil or garden mix do you use in these buckets?
Excellent! Liked and subscribed so I don’t miss great info!
How fast do they grow? If I had like 3 bowls would that be enough in between cuttings? Do I need to use the fiber pots are my extra plastic shurb pots ok to use?
Hey Luke, thank you!
🙏🏽❌⭕️♥️
❤❤❤
You look beautiful😍 if you don't mind me saying I'm Leonard Smith ☺ if I may ask where are you from?
Wonderful thank you!
❤❤💞💞💞
You look beautiful😍 if you don't mind me saying I'm Leonard Smith ☺ if I may ask where are you from?
Can you also perform this method with cilantro and other herbs? I always let my cilantro go too long :(
Yup, I started growing lettuce indoors this winter and, in spite of only having a few, I got more leaves than I could eat. As an experiment I put half the plants outdoors in cloches. In spite of some sub-zero temps they survived and are now even more successful; I’m blown way! 🥬🍾❤️
I live in Wisconsin how early can I plant lettuce , you said early spring , just wondering when would be best to plant lettuce
Good video. This method would be ideal for apartment dwellers too.
How long does it take for lettuce seeds to germinate outside? Its been pretty cold with highs in the 40 and 50s and low near freezing.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us on your channel. I am getting back into gardening and doing it using fabric pots with peas. I may do some lettuce 🥬 after watching this video. Btw, I am in zone 8a.
If you are direct sowing the seeds, how close would you put them? Or do you just sprinkle them randomly and let them do their own thing? Does cut and come again harvesting work for spinach as well?
Can you do this in beds and use a quick cut green harvester?
It would be cool if you offered a lettuce bundle.
I was thinking about doing this in pots and when it gets hotter out to move pots in a shadier spot or indoors
This is a timely video for me, because I planted some Arugula and Romaine and have no clue what I'm doing. 🤣
Thanks MI!
Hey Luke! How does someone continue growing lettuce through the summer when temps are really hot? Shade? Will they grow under a shade cloth?
More like MLG Gardner. Ty for the content!
I love lettuce
Fantastic idea thank you
Really is! Just harvest tall enough to not impede plant growth!
What's the pros and cons of doing cut and come again by cutting the top off vs. harvesting the outside leaves? I have done harvesting outside leaves and it seems to benefit the plants by giving them room to grow as well as giving you larger in tact leaves each harvest.
I've always picked off the outer leaves, but I also was having to plant lettuce super close together to keep the soil shaded (Texas, even January can have 90 degree days). When plants are crowded that can be a pain. This looks much easier.
@@elisabetk2595 Same here. It does look easier. I was wondering about the water loss/trauma from all of open surface where it was cut.
PSA:
slipped with knife and almost needed stitches, really sharp knife, going to get kevlar glove(s) for left hand.
I heard that you can't cut and come again with spinach, i do it all the time, if i can keep the chickens from getting to the pots.
or use scissors
@@CL-ty6wp been using scissors, Got a razor knife for slicing micro greens and it was at hand. and at thumb in my case.
I do cut and come again with spinach. I prefer the young leaves.
Agree use good scissors instead. Use one hand to hold the leaves bunched up then SAFELY cut underneath.
@@DebWHNP That's awesome, I didn't know you can do that with them particularly with them saying they heard it's not possible.
Great sharing, thanks your tip.
How soon can you start this process in a greenhouse? And how long can you grow in a greenhouse? My grandsons school has an unused greenhouse 😉
As soon as the leaves are grown out enough to warrant a harvest like he is showing.
My weather says it's going to be mid 70s this weekend. I'm going to cut mine all down before it seeds 😊😊
You can also use shade cloth (or similar) to also keep them from bolting as well. People do this on purpose for pre-last frosts' for many tropic plants and trees from budding and it's works QUITE well. Particularly if the containers/fabrics are well breathing and/or light colored to make sure they stays cooler during these heat waves.
@@rickytorres9089 thank you! I need some friends like you to pick their brain 😆
@@Avram1919 Aww, you are so much always welcome! :)
I NEEDED TO KNOW THIS. THANKS
What’s the best type of soil for lettuce? I’m a newbie🥴
I'm going to do this in my Greenstalk.
Thank you that was very helpful
Very good advice
Hey Luke, can you do cut and come again with a hydroponic set up?
Love the new graphics!
Video starts at 5:10
can you grow inside your house during the winter?
Does this method help prevent bolting?
Great info. Thank you so much,
So, at what temps will it be game over for the bucket of lettuce? I've started some by Winter Sowing, and they are soon to be put into their forever pots. It seems to be heating up quickly in Metro Detroit! Just wondering how long they will last before bolting?
I can’t seem to grow lettuce. The seeds start but don’t continue to grow. I’m in the PNW so not due to too much heat.
Awesome video!!
I have been trying to grow lettuce for a year now and can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong. I have tried different seeds, different seed brands, different soil types, etc etc and they never get taller than microgreens. The leaves - my radish microgreens have bigger leaves. The lettuce just reaches a certain point and stops growing. They’re getting plentiful sun, soil is kept nice and moist. I even tried “greenhouse” style with a gallon jug and that didn’t work either. Would welcome any suggestions that maybe I haven’t tried.
I was wondering how often should you water Lettuce a week, I used to water mine everyday and soak it and I think I messed them up because the outter lettuce would get brown and die and there was no signs of bugs or anything eating the plants.
Can you do this with spinach??
Does anyone know how deep the soil has to be for this type of growth?
sorry i needed all this but i didnt utilize your very useful lecture videos SORRY!!! very good videos for a garden actual user!!!
Rouge d'hiver xD your pronunciation was so funny. It is french so it is normal you pronounce it like it was in english.
❤❤💞💞
You look beautiful😍 if you don't mind me saying I'm Leonard Smith ☺ if I may ask where are you from?
i also do leave a few go to seeds... pollinators love them .. and i replant those same seeds in middle august or so and i can harvest until november those last years.... montreal canada here :-)
Inside or outside thank you N F here Ontario
@@ladygreeneyes2880 outside with a small frost cloth at the end. but we had a mild fall in 22
Is there a variety of lettuce that will have more crunch, when growing this way?
I pinch off a few outer leaves with my thumbnail every day for my daily salad.
If I harvest too much I put the ends in a bowl of water and leave it on the kitchen counter
That the beauty of self harvesting, you can store at reasonable room temperatures for quite awhile since you didn't shock them with intensive processing. That usually by flash chilling produce before hitting stores and possibly even farmer markets' stands.
This is so cool!
❤❤💞💞
You look beautiful😍 if you don't mind me saying I'm Leonard Smith ☺ if I may ask where are you from?
Can the lettuce be grown in a growing bag throughout the summer?
Can you buy lettuces and grow that way too?
Can you cut and come again with cabbage?
Every time I grow cut & come again my lettuce grows in soo leggy
Doesnt it get bitter over time?