how to harvest lettuce

As soon as the lettuce leaves reach a couple of inches in length, you can begin harvesting “baby lettuce.”. Where to Plant Lettuce; The ideal lettuce growing location for spring and fall is in a spot that receives full sun. 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. In my drought-prone, zone 6 garden, heirlooms doggedly send up their stalks and give me a bounty of seeds to harvest. A quick, clean slice keeps the plant from getting dirty and also allows plants that are continually harvested to quickly heal. When harvesting lettuce, whether cutting leaves or bringing in the whole plant, a sharp knife is a great tool. Then, as lettuces leaf out, you have choices. It will not produce another head. 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. Either way, remove any debris such as cut leaves or brown leaves and put the tray back under the light. Though bolting begins to reduce a lettuce plant’s productivity (it is putting all its energy into making a seed stalk, after all) it will repay you exponentially in future harvests. Am I going to consume the lettuce right away. How to Harvest Lettuce Lettuce should be harvested when full size, but just before maturity. Lettuce heads should also always be harvested in the morning when temperatures aren't too high. This will neatly slide underneath the head a few inches above the root to carefully slice individual leaves off the producing plant. Called cut-and-come-again harvesting, harvesting like this not only prolongs the cropping period – so individual … Lettuce is easy to grow. This time of day is when the lettuce plants are at their most crisp, cool, and bursting with moisture. Be sure to prune the lettuce evenly. Plan to harvest your lettuce leaves in the morning, when they'll be at their crispest. As plants grow and begin to crowd, you can thin out the extras as delicious baby greens. It will prolong their crispness for around a week, maybe. All look really healthy and I can’t wait to get them growing and have a first harvest. Grabbing a pinch, holding it a few inches from the jar, and dropping it back in will clean the seeds from the rest of the material pretty well in a few minutes. … The reason is the tradition of fermenting lettuce for food and drink comes from the shtetl culture of Ukraine which was all but annihilated. Some people harvest leaf lettuce when it is only a … You can revive those sad-looking leaves by floating them in a large bowl of icy water. Harvesting the Head of Buttercrunch Lettuce Harvest lettuce heads when the lettuce is fully grown. The younger leaves replace the outermost leaves that fall off or have been harvested. Harvesting lettuce is pretty goof-proof. Author: Wren Everett // Last updated on September 29, 2020 Leave a Comment. If you get them in time, they’ll perk back up in about 15 minutes. How to Grow and Save Lettuce Seed It is very hard not to grow lettuce seed. How to Harvest Lettuce. 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. This fall crop can be protected under row cover or low tunnels to extend the leaf lettuce harvest into the cooler weather. Loose-leaf lettuce harvest can commence anytime the leaves have shaped however before the formation of a seed stalk. When you plant lettuce, you want to sow a little thicker than the packet recommends. When harvesting lettuce, it's always better to harvest a little too early rather than waiting too long. When that time comes, this guide is here to offer you tips for harvesting lettuce with panache. Growing lettuce is so easy, takes up little space, and you can even grow it among flowers and herbs. Enjoy the cheery, daisy-like yellow flowers as they open, and then wait for the seed stalk to dry to a papery brown. When it comes to the long-term preservation of vegetables, quick-to-wilt lettuce is probably the worst possible candidate. Learn How to Grow Lettuce at Home Easily in India and enjoy its fresh harvest at home!. Harvesting lettuce is pretty goof-proof. Typically, gardeners would harvest the crown and its surrounding leaves once and for all. That means you can pick the outer leaves as you need them. It is convenient to start from seeds that are not genetically modified. Simply make a clean cut just below the head through the stem. Just be sure to work from the outside in — those tender, tiny, inner leaves are still full of potential growth. Because you can eat buttercrunch leaves of any size, wait at least 24 days if you want to harvest young lettuce leaves. Cut off 1-2 inches from the top of the lettuce. stir-fried with ginger, garlic and soy sauce, A Year In The Countryside: What We Didn’t Expect About The Simple Life, Raising Muscovy Ducks And Why You Probably Want Them, SunOven: the Ultimate Off-the-grid Cooking Tool for Post-apocalyptic Foodies (w/ video), Green Business Blog Carnival #10 at Cleantechies, 20 Delicious Green Tomato Recipes You Should Try, Lessons From Facing Death On The Homestead, How To Harvest And Transplant Wild Asparagus, 10 Delicious Vegan Sandwiches for Back to School, The 25 Most Gorgeous Garden Stools You Can Buy, How To Choose, Collect, And Save Garden Seeds, Grow Healthy, Flavorful Fruit With The Best Fertilizer For Tomatoes, Homesteader Tips For Dealing With Parasites. Place the lettuce you cut off into a produce container and put into the fridge until you are ready to use it. It's also best to pick lettuce early in the morning when it is at its peak flavor and texture. Either cut what you want to use that day or harvest the whole tray. To harvest lettuce, simply cut it off near ground level. Use a sharp knife and simply make a clean cut below the head through the stem. 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. Or enjoy your lettuces over a longer period by cutting just a few leaves from each plant at a time. Cut the outer lettuce leaves about 1 inch above the crown. When harvesting your lettuce in batches, it’s best to take every second plant, as this gives the remaining plants plenty of room to grow. You can eat the leaves at any stage. One rule of thumb states: pick lettuce before the dew evaporates in the morning. 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 great thing about harvesting lettuce this way is that you get a longer supply of lettuce leaves. . In this article, I’ll cover how to plant, grow, and harvest … Harvesting Lettuce Seeds . 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. … 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. Also, it is possible to grow lettuce with a mixture of different colors, shapes, and textures in the same hydroponic crop. If any of you are adventurous fermenters, it’s well worth the experiment. Harvesting lettuce is relatively easy and when done properly can prolong the plant’s life and encourage vigorous and health growth. 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. 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. The lettuce can keep growing as you harvest wave after wave of lettuce leaves. 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. 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. This rule is the same for all lettuces whether leafy or heading. Learn How to Grow Lettuce at Home Easily in India to enjoy its fresh harvest in salads! Final Thoughts. If you wait until the afternoon to pick it, lettuce tends to be limp and slightly dried out. Also, if you find that your fresh-harvested lettuce wilted between being picked and making it to the kitchen, don’t despair! It is an appropriate notion to make a note on your calendar when your lettuce is anticipated to mature. Harvest the lettuce in the morning for fresh, crisp leaves. One seed will become hundreds. If you pick lettuce leaves early in the day, … Treated this way, some lettuce plants can produce a steady supply of leaves for weeks at a time. Farmers will harvest lettuce crops between the wee hours of 2 a.m. and sunrise. When you do that, the plant dies. How to Harvest Lettuce Harvesting heads of lettuce is done by cutting them away from the stalk when the head is still firm. 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. Buttercrunch lettuce leaves grow outwards from the center of the head. Will you harvest the whole thing, or pick a few leaves at a time? 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. For now, feel free to continue reading. Maybe secret a few plants in a cold frame to extend the harvest, and dream of that first flush of early spring leaves once winter’s grip has weakened. 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. If you leave 2-3 inches of stem above the ground the plant will still send out new leaves. This may take a surprisingly long time (as in weeks) so be patient. Growing lettuce in pots or containers is ideal for small gardens or where space is a premium. How you store lettuce also determines how long the lettuce itself will last. So, if you are ready to indulge yourself with some delicious lettuce wraps or hearty green salad, prepare your gardening equipment, take note of these harvesting steps, methods, and tricks and make your first successful lettuce harvest. 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. You can store them in the freezer or in a dry, dark place. Both are viable options. Wait until fall and then plant another crop. 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. 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. Harvest whole heads of lettuce in one go by simply pulling up the plant from the ground. Cut the lettuce leaves 1/2- to 3/4-inches above the soil level. But those of us with gardens know that lettuce is far more than that. We often use it as a living mulch around the tomatoes in the early spring. Even though lettuce is familiar to most of us, there’s still a lot to discover with this common plant. Choose a pot at least 6 inches (15cm) deep, which will provide enough soil depth for the lettuce roots. To harvest Romaine heads, use a sharp knife to cut the stem off at ground level. By using this method for harvesting lettuce and by planting successive crops, you can have fresh salad green for most of the year. 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. When you plant lettuce, you want to sow a little thicker than the packet recommends. Lettuce quickly degrades when stored with fruit such as apples, pears and bananas that release the ripening agent ethylene gas. How to Make a Living Wall: The Complete Guide, 22 Practical Hedges for the Homestead That Add More Value Than Just Beauty, The 19 Best Patio Plants to Brighten Up Your Outdoor Space, 18 Gardening Methods to Choose From to Maximize Your Space, 22 Best Vegetables to Plant in Your Straw Bale Garden. 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. For Crisphead and Butterhead varieties, you will probably want to wait until the plant has formed for a large, one-time harvest. The plant needs them to keep growing. Lettuce can take 65-100 days or so to reach maturity relying on the variety that you truck … When to harvest? Leave the inner leaves intact and the entire lettuce plant will continue to grow. Or, for leaf lettuce, you can cut the whole leaf bundle at ground level or take a few leaves at a time as needed. . 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. Cut leaves really don’t last long at room temperature. Also, be sure to leave at least 4 to 6 six leaves at the center. An additional consideration when it comes to harvesting lettuce is whether or not you should be planting next year’s salads. The few survivors and descendants of the Yiddish families who once knew this way of using lettuce carried the memory to the present day. Growing lettuce from seed in late summer may … Enjoy it for fall. Rubbing the stalk between my hands produces a fluffy mess. I like to pile the material in a mason jar and take it outside on a gently breezy day. Lettuce is suitable for outdoor production or low light conditions in greenhouses. I know, I know. 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