You can eat the leaves at any stage. If you’ve never grown lettuce before, you still have time to get it in the ground this fall, and harvest a handful of beautiful greens for the kitchen. How to Grow and Save Lettuce Seed It is very hard not to grow lettuce seed. That means you can pick the outer leaves as you need them. Author: Wren Everett // Last updated on September 29, 2020 Leave a Comment. My messy-but-it-works method is to take each dry seed stalk indoors to my kitchen table. Growing lettuce in pots or containers is ideal for small gardens or where space is a premium. Leaf lettuce can be harvested anytime the leaves are large enough for your preference. . Also, if you find that your fresh-harvested lettuce wilted between being picked and making it to the kitchen, don’t despair! Lettuce heads should also always be harvested in the morning when temperatures aren't too high. Once the tiny, teardrop-shaped seeds are separated, I put them in labeled and dated jars or bags and save them for the fall and next spring’s growing. One seed will become hundreds. Will you harvest the whole thing, or pick a few leaves at a time? When your outer leaves reach around four inches in length, you can either use a pair of shears to snip—or your fingers to snap off—about an inch above the crown of the loose-leaf lettuce plant. Lettuce is easy to grow. If you’re growing your own lettuce, you already know that the best lettuce is the stuff you harvested from the garden 10 minutes earlier. Stay tuned for the first newsletter in the morning, straight to your inbox. Either cut what you want to use that day or harvest the whole tray. Once the fluffy seed heads have all started showing their silky down and the leaves have browned, clip the seed stalk from the plant. Choose a pot at least 6 inches (15cm) deep, which will provide enough soil depth for the lettuce roots. By using this method for harvesting lettuce and by planting successive crops, you can have fresh salad green for most of the year. This may take a surprisingly long time (as in weeks) so be patient. Cut the outer lettuce leaves about 1 inch above the crown. Called cut-and-come-again harvesting, harvesting like this not only prolongs the cropping period – so individual … The reason is the tradition of fermenting lettuce for food and drink comes from the shtetl culture of Ukraine which was all but annihilated. To do this check the seed packet for days to maturity and do some calculating. The best temperature for growing lettuce is from 55 up to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (12.8 to 21.1 degrees Celsius). The leaves were roughly torn, fermented, and sometimes blended with dill, sugar, and garlic before being served, but this process is basically unknown in modern culinary practice. Harvesting lettuce is relatively easy and when done properly can prolong the plant’s life and encourage vigorous and health growth. Either way, remove any debris such as cut leaves or brown leaves and put the tray back under the light. After that, if you harvest it at least twice a week, you should be able to continue harvesting it for several months. Be sure to prune the lettuce evenly. For Crisphead and Butterhead varieties, you will probably want to wait until the plant has formed for a large, one-time harvest. Learn How to Grow Lettuce at Home Easily in India to enjoy its fresh harvest in salads! When you do that, the plant dies. If you get them in time, they’ll perk back up in about 15 minutes. 3 Choose Easy to Grow Lettuces Lettuce grows best in cooler climates or in the cooler months of a growing season. Harvesting Lettuce Seeds . Because you can eat buttercrunch leaves of any size, wait at least 24 days if you want to harvest young lettuce leaves. Planted early in the spring and fall for multiple harvests a year, easy to grow, and quick to harvest, lettuce is far more than a mere vector for ranch dressing. #mizuna #endive #lollobionda #littlegem #littlegems #lettuce #lettucegarden #growasalad #saladleaves #salad #salads #saladsofinstagram #greenhouse #greenhousegrown #grownfromseed #grow #growing #growfood #growingfood #kitchengarden #raisedbeds #homegarden #homegrown #growyourownfood … But believe it or not, I have two rather unconventional ways that keep your spring and fall lettuce haul around longer than the few days that picked leaves stay fresh in the fridge.Though lettuce is the leaf supreme for fresh salads, this plant is surprisingly not just a one-trick pony. If you have planted heirloom varieties of lettuce, you should plan on allowing some of your best plants to go to seed. It is convenient to start from seeds that are not genetically modified. Or enjoy your lettuces over a longer period by cutting just a few leaves from each plant at a time. Cut off 1-2 inches from the top of the lettuce. Simply make a clean cut just below the head through the stem. When to harvest? The younger leaves replace the outermost leaves that fall off or have been harvested. Harvesting a large crisp head of lettuce from the garden is a wonderful thing, but for faster yields and longer harvests, a cut and come again lettuce bed can put salad on your plate all season long. Harvest whole heads of lettuce in one go by simply pulling up the plant from the ground. Hydroponic lettuce takes 30 days to harvest when the cultivation starts from seeds. Harvest Romaine lettuce, also called Cos lettuce, when the leaves have elongated, formed midribs, and overlapped to form a fairly tight head–about 6 to 8 inches tall. But those of us with gardens know that lettuce is far more than that. Growing lettuce is so easy, takes up little space, and you can even grow it among flowers and herbs. Lettuce is suitable for outdoor production or low light conditions in greenhouses. Growing lettuce from seedlings for early spring transplant is a good way to get a head start on the growing season. Harvesting loose-leaf lettuce is different from harvesting a head of lettuce, as you can pick loose leaves as it grows rather than waiting for a head or heart to form. If you leave 2-3 inches of stem above the ground the plant will still send out new leaves. A head of hydroponic lettuce grows from seed to harvest in 35 days, making it a good first crop for new hydroponic gardeners. You can store them in the freezer or in a dry, dark place. Wait until fall and then plant another crop. Leaf lettuce is easy to tuck in between and under taller vegetables and is perfect for containers. Some people harvest leaf lettuce when it is only a … If you pick lettuce leaves early in the day, … The plant needs them to keep growing. If you wait until the afternoon to pick it, lettuce tends to be limp and slightly dried out. Typically, gardeners would harvest the crown and its surrounding leaves once and for all. Lettuce can be stored for 1-2 weeks if refrigerated. If you are growing multiple varieties of lettuce, you don’t even really have to worry about cross-pollination Lettuce is self-pollinating and will rarely cross with other varieties. As plants grow and begin to crowd, you can thin out the extras as delicious baby greens. There are a couple of ways to complete this process properly. The outer leaves may be removed if needed. How to Store Lettuce. You can eat the leaves at any stage. Growing lettuce from seed in late summer may … … Final Thoughts. Harvest Crisphead lettuce —such as Iceberg with a solid, tight, spherical head–when heads are medium-size (6 to 8 inches/15-20 cm), round, and firm. Don’t cut more than 1/3 of the lettuce off (always leave 2/3 of the plant in the AeroGarden). Just be sure to work from the outside in — those tender, tiny, inner leaves are still full of potential growth. Harvesting lettuce is pretty goof-proof. Your email address will not be published. Pots and containers can dry out faster than garden-grown lettuce, so keep an eye on the moisture level of the soil and water accordingly. These dishes can be cooked and frozen, and while it may not be the most instinctive way to use lettuce, it is a viable way to set aside a large harvest for later use. Treated this way, some lettuce plants can produce a steady supply of leaves for weeks at a time. You don’t want to let your lettuce reach full maturity before harvesting because the leaves get bitter. Lettuce can take 65-100 days or so to reach maturity relying on the variety that you truck … If you grow your own, you may be delighted with the sight of deeply-lobed Oakleaf, whimsically spotted Bronze Mignonette, wavy-edged Buttercrunch, or maroon-edged Devil Ear. The only real key to remember is to harvest lettuce in the morning before the sun’s heat has made the leaves limp and less juicy. Rubbing the stalk between my hands produces a fluffy mess. Also, it is possible to grow lettuce with a mixture of different colors, shapes, and textures in the same hydroponic crop. Farmers will harvest lettuce crops between the wee hours of 2 a.m. and sunrise. When the head feels firm to the touch, it’s a good signal the time has arrived! The only real key to remember is to harvest lettuce in the morning before the sun’s heat has made the leaves limp and less juicy. To harvest Romaine heads, use a sharp knife to cut the stem off at ground level. In my drought-prone, zone 6 garden, heirlooms doggedly send up their stalks and give me a bounty of seeds to harvest. When the lettuce reaches your desired size, pluck the outer leaves to let the rest of the plant continue to grow or cut the entire plant off at the base. Place the lettuce you cut off into a produce container and put into the fridge until you are ready to use it. All look really healthy and I can’t wait to get them growing and have a first harvest. It's also best to pick lettuce early in the morning when it is at its peak flavor and texture. You can revive those sad-looking leaves by floating them in a large bowl of icy water. You can keep cut leaves fresher longer by storing them in a container or bag in the refrigerator. The few survivors and descendants of the Yiddish families who once knew this way of using lettuce carried the memory to the present day. This time of day is when the lettuce plants are at their most crisp, cool, and bursting with moisture. Harvest the lettuce in the morning for fresh, crisp leaves. For Romaine and leaf varieties, you could also choose to pick the big outer leaves and let the inner leaves continue to develop for a surprisingly long time. How to Harvest Lettuce: The best way to harvest lettuce is by using a sharp knife to cut the heads off the stalk when they are still firm.   One involves holding a paper bag near the plant and shaking the flower head over it daily until most of the ripened seed is gone. This is not a difficult process as it merely involves letting your selected plants do their thing and hoping the heat doesn’t kill them before the seeds mature! Uproot the entire plant, and store it in the refrigerator with the roots in a container of water and a damp paper towel or plastic bag over the leaves. To harvest individual leaves, use scissors to cut off the outer leaves near the base of the plant. What Is Greensand and How Do You Use It In Your Garden? Cut leaves really don’t last long at room temperature. Where to Plant Lettuce; The ideal lettuce growing location for spring and fall is in a spot that receives full sun. Use a sharp knife and simply make a clean cut below the head through the stem. Also, be sure to leave at least 4 to 6 six leaves at the center. This rule is the same for all lettuces whether leafy or heading. Upload a photo / attachment to this comment (PNG, JPG, GIF - 6 MB Max File Size):  (Allowed file types: jpg, gif, png, maximum file size: 6MB. If any of you are adventurous fermenters, it’s well worth the experiment. Further research led me to a memoir by Gail Singer and Alexandra Grigorieva (which is free to read online). The high water content of lettuce (94.9 percent) creates problems when attempting to preserve the plant – it cannot be successfully frozen, canned or dried and must be eaten fresh. Pots of lettuce are also perfect to grow on your patio or porch. Harvest your lettuce crops in the early morning when they are in peak cool and crisp condition. To harvest lettuce, simply cut it off near ground level. Cut the lettuce leaves 1/2- to 3/4-inches above the soil level. … If you really need to keep a large amount fresh for a longer time, try the same method used by those funny containers of “live lettuce” at the grocery store. The longest that I have been harvesting … . Your email address will not be published. How to Harvest Lettuce Lettuce should be harvested when full size, but just before maturity. Once the flower heads are fluffy and dry, it's time to harvest the seeds. A quick, clean slice keeps the plant from getting dirty and also allows plants that are continually harvested to quickly heal. Enjoy it for fall. Though the freezer makes the seeds last longer and will also stratify them, I’ve had no problem planting unstratified, fresh-harvested, spring seeds in my fall garden. When you plant lettuce, you want to sow a little thicker than the packet recommends. LETTUCE AND PEA SOUP WITH CHILLI, DILL PESTO//, A post shared by R U P A B O D H A N I (@the_social_cook_) on Sep 2, 2020 at 5:16am PDT. Lettuce is wonderfully tasty stir-fried with ginger, garlic and soy sauce or added to soups. As soon as the lettuce leaves reach a couple of inches in length, you can begin harvesting “baby lettuce.”. How you store lettuce also determines how long the lettuce itself will last. Lettuce grows for many weeks in the mild weather of spring and fall. Both are viable options. Loose-leaf lettuce harvest can commence anytime the leaves have shaped however before the formation of a seed stalk. Like I have said before, the best time to start harvesting is about 3 weeks after you have planted the seed pod. Plan to harvest your lettuce leaves in the morning, when they'll be at their crispest. When you plant lettuce, you want to sow a little thicker than the packet recommends. Packed with fiber, vitamins, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium, lettuce is a great addition to salads, soups, and sandwiches. Lettuce quickly degrades when stored with fruit such as apples, pears and bananas that release the ripening agent ethylene gas. Your lettuce should be ready for harvest anywhere from one to two months after planting. Even though lettuce is familiar to most of us, there’s still a lot to discover with this common plant. Required fields are marked *. When that time comes, this guide is here to offer you tips for harvesting lettuce with panache. Another way to use lettuce is not one I have personal experience with (yet), and a near-forgotten history waiting for someone to pick it up again.