A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Harvesting Lettuce?

OK this may seem like a silly question.... but....

yesterday we started harvesting our lettuce to eat in our dinner salads. Its a loose leaf lettuce and just take some sissors and cut the lettuce. I had a few questions for those that have grown this before... How do you know when the lettuce is fully grown? (how big our the leaves, etc) How do you harvest it? will it grow back where I cut it?

Thanks to all

Hi there Marina!
When it's big enough to eat, (3 to 5 inches) it's big enough to harvest, and it will grow back. If it gets too big, it gets bitter, and when the weather gets too hot, it gets tough and bitter. Enjoy it now! I also use scissors to cut it.
How are those 'mators doing?

You can really eat it at ANY height, so that doesn't really matter. The younger, the better I think. If you take all the leaves off it the plant will die, but if you only snip a few off each plant the plant will continue to grow. Its also a good idea to plant more seed every few weeks to get a continued harvest. Not sure how it would do in the summer in your climate. You may need some row cover material to provide it some relief from the summer sun.

Thanks for the advice guys. Especially about just cutting a few leaves off each plant. We had been cuttingn each plant to like an inch or two of the ground, so we will stop that.

Its so nice to go outside and get exactly what we want for our salad with no waste!

Yes, only use the outter leaves..
That way the plant will continue to grow and
continue to give you more lettuce...

i've always just pulled off the outer leaves to eat and let the rest of the plant grow. you can use it at any size. and i've always just pulled it down and off the plants instead of using scissors.

I've used sissors or a sharp knife to snip off the tops.

I have a question about the lettuce, mine is coming up really nice but I've never noticed that it is such a pale green color.

I have planted it right beside my radishes and spinach and these are a rich green color. Am I just mixed up? Should this leaf lettuce be a pale green color, or am I doing something wrong?

Depends on variety and how young it is.....

Mine is a beautiful pale green color... maybe its just the type?

Ok!!! Will be patient.

What variety is it? I plant Black-Seeded Simpson every year and it is usually a very pale green color, but this is one of the best varieties that I've tried.

John, I can't find my package and I tho't I'd written it down which type I used, but I've asked another gardener from our area and she said it was normal, so I'll just be patient.

It is coming up real nice and last night we had a wonderful 1/2 inch of rain. A real blessing on all our crops and gardens around here. We're not dry, but this rain is God-sent.

I have been plantung black seed simpson for 20 years. It will be a pale green and the smaller the leaf the better. 3 to 5 inch I plant in very early spring as soon as I can till In illinois its early march. It needs cool weather. When the weather gets warmer or the leafs get to big, when you cut it look at the stem if you see a milky residue coming from it it can be bitterLike peppereater I cut to about 1 inch above the ground and it will grow back. by the time I get to the end of the row I start over.

Joe...thanks for posting that. That was my recollection. I did not plant any this year as it has been hot since February. I have found that planting some in late summer gives me an excellent fall harvest.