Little Question about Lettuce

kateh 5/30/2012, 11:51 am

I am gardening for the first time and planted a few types of lettuce. My Black Seeded Simpson is doing well and I wasn't sure when I should start trimming the leaves for my salad plate! I don't want to do it too early and risk killing it off, but I don't want to wait to late and have it stop growing. Any suggestions? The largest of the four in the square I want to trim is probably the size of my outstretched hand.

**walshevak** 5/30/2012, 12:21 pm

It's ready. enjoy

Kay

**rowena___.** 5/30/2012, 12:23 pm

in my garden, i harvest lettuce from the outside in, starting when the leaves are 4"-6" tall. leave the center leaves so they can continue to mature. as long as you keep cutting, and as long as your weather allows, they will continue to grow and provide more salads!

kateh 5/30/2012, 12:56 pm

Thanks - Happy Dinner for me!!!

Yardtigress 5/30/2012, 3:15 pm

Yes, thank you forum Smile

I didn't know you could cut the leaves and leave it to grow more. So far I have had 2 salads from my garden and tonight I eat another. DH has planted a row garden for the last 3 years and we got 3 squash and 2 tomatoes. This year I retired and got my SFG. I have been eating squash every meal for a week. I love squash!! and have gotten lettuce, radishes, and onions. I told DH that next year we need to make it bigger.

mrwes40 5/30/2012, 4:25 pm

I normally wait until the leaves are about 6 inches tall and then I cut the complete bunch off about 1" from the ground. Leave this part in the garden and it'll grow again for a second harvest.

Also, another good tip is stage your lettuce planting, that is, plant a square every one or two weeks part. Aren't freshly cut greens out of the garden absolutely the best?

Bill

kbb964 5/30/2012, 6:27 pm

I am overun with lettuce! it just keeps on growing

**camprn** 5/30/2012, 6:31 pm

Give some to the soup kitchen... Very Happy

**walshevak** 5/30/2012, 9:31 pm

My local food bank got a small donation of lettuce, mustard greens and chard last week. It was only a plastic grocery bag of each, but I was welcomed as if it was a truckload. And by clipping my plants I'll keep them producing and not bolting as soon.

Kay

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Little Question about Lettuce

Little Question about Lettuce

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eating mine already

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