Cut and come again lettuce

lynseydee

A couple of weeks ago I planted some of the free lettuce seeds that came free with GW magazine. I have them in my kitchen window and they are looking really good. They are about 2/3" high now. When should I start taking some of the leaves off to eat?

demented_2

Hi I just love cut or pick and come again lettuce, i usually get lola rossa. I would just pick off the leaves around the outside of the plant, when you think that the leaves are big enough. They will come back again with a vengance. Must remember to plant some more on the allotment.

Linda32

Hi, Yes just keep picking off the leaves, hold the leaf in the palm of your hand, then with your thumb nail, press than in to cut it off.
The leaves just grow back again as they are meant to do.

lynseydee

Checked my leaves with the picture on the packet. Is it usual for the plants to look nothing like the packet :rotfl:

donna73

hi i'm growing some veg and salad for the first time and im addicted already, but im doing it with very little knowledge! so help please

i'm growing cut and come again lettuce and so far have been picking off odd leaves as we need them, is this the right thing to do or should i be chopping them off at the base? they're growing ok but they' ve got a sort of stalk now before the new leaves are growing out the top.


also would it be ok to plant spinach or carrots in containers?

Jayar

I always thought you just had to pick off individual leaves, but the other week, I cut one off just above the base and it now has two baby letuces growing out of the side. So, I suppose either way is OK.
And, I'm sure your spinach and carrots would be ok in containers. Monty Don does it so it must be OK I think you can buy carrots specially for growing in containers, they are more round than long.

scubaleopard

I just cut off the outside leaves first and let the rest grow. I always plant the mixed seeds so that you get a nice variety. They are Johnsons I think

bertie2

we ve grown cut and come again for the last 2 years and this year are doing it in window boxes. all I do is cut it (like mowing the grass!0) and it grows again fine! really easy!!! If your lettuces are stalky are they rocket coz it tends to bolt in the heat. Also only get about 3 cuttings out of the salad so that could be why.

you can grow spinach in containers and I should im agine carrots would be ok as you can grow potatoes in containers:j

MRSMCAWBER

Hi Donna73

With cut n come again lettuce, you do eventually end up with a heart.., i grew them last year and after about 8 times of taking the outer leaves away i just pulled the plant out and used the heart....i found that starting off a second container a couple of weeks after the first meant that you always have on to replace the one that has to come out....

You are fine growing carrots in tubs, i grew shed loads...again i had a couple of tubs and as soon as the first sign of green popped through the soil i planted up set some in the second tub....they very rarely made it to the getting cooked stage

I also did raddishes and spring onions in tubs..again leaving a couple of weeks between sowing..so you get a constant supply rather than loads all ready together;)

Zazen999

Hi. I grew all my veg in pots last year as we were in rented accom waiting to buy this place. Deep tubs for carrots, but plant with onions at the same time - to keep away the carrot fly [yes, they can make their way into tubs]. Also grew calabrese [what we call brocolli but actually isn't], garlic, leeks, tomatoes, lettuce, courgette, spinach, cucumber and this year started beans and peas in pots - all growing nicely.
All you really have to do is to work out which veg have long roots [carrots] and which have shallow ones [courgettes] and make sure the pots suit. Stake those that need it, peas and beans and toms. I would interspace everything with companion plants to keep away the beasties, fertilise soil before it goes in, keep an eye on the moisture levels, and keep well fed and watered.
Incidentally, my carrots in pots were the most successful i have ever grown, huge they were [those that made it long enough to be cooked].
The ones i started this year - i just threw a selection of seeds in tubs together - eg Toms, beans, peas, courgette - just spread them out on the soil about March and they are growing away nicely as a 'summer vege box'. Would also recommend doing the same with 'soup box' - carrot, coridander, celery, leeks all together; sauce box - toms, onions, basil, peppers; curry box - peppers, coriander, garlic, onions, toms etc - if you pick stuff that grows well together then they feed off each other's nutrients etc.

appyjack

Thanks for this advice.

Have you a list of which ones grow well together, or could you post a link, please?