# How many "cuts" do you get from your lettuce plants?



## PA. Woodsman (May 24, 2020)

I planted lettuce in a raised box next to the patio where I usually plant peppers, and we already had one "cut" of it and man it is wonderful, and of course it is growing back and fast so I'll let it grow until it bolts and gets bitter, but I want to plant peppers there when the lettuce dies. I talked to a guy at the local garden center and asked how long the pepper plants would stay in those little pots that they come in if I bought them now and just held on to them and he said a few weeks, I don't want to pull the lettuce and then go to buy peppers and they're out of them and he said they should have them for weeks yet but who knows, thanks to the plague these garden centers around here aren't getting their usual supplies so I'll have to make sure that I get some peppers for that box, but for those that are familiar with lettuce how many cuts do you get from it? The guy told me that I was "lucky" that I am getting more than one cut from it, he said he only got one but we've always got more than one, the second crop might not be as good as the first but we mostly get two, and this second batch looks just as nice as the first, we haven't tried it yet but it's not turning to seed or anything yet so it should be good.

Do you all usually get two cuts (crop) from your lettuce plants? I know I won't get three as it is going to be in the mid 80's next week and the warmer weather is coming and the lettuce likes the cooler weather.

Thanks


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## Ryan'smilling (May 24, 2020)

We used to grow salad mix that way. In the early season we'd get 3-4 cuttings. 2 should be no problem. 

About leaving the peppers in pots though, they might be okay, or they might get stunted. You could pull a bit of lettuce where you want to get the pepper going, or you could put the peppers up into a larger pot if you want to help them out.


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## PA. Woodsman (May 24, 2020)

Ryan'smilling said:


> We used to grow salad mix that way. In the early season we'd get 3-4 cuttings. 2 should be no problem.
> 
> About leaving the peppers in pots though, they might be okay, or they might get stunted. You could pull a bit of lettuce where you want to get the pepper going, or you could put the peppers up into a larger pot if you want to help them out.


Thank you!


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## J.W Younger (May 25, 2020)

PA. Woodsman said:


> Thank you!


I know if you don't already have em pots can get expensive but you can make your own and just go to bigger containers and keep them all way up to matutity if you need to...just don't forget the drain holes.


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## PA. Woodsman (May 25, 2020)

J.W Younger said:


> I know if you don't already have em pots can get expensive but you can make your own and just go to bigger containers and keep them all way up to matutity if you need to...just don't forget the drain holes.


Good advice, thanks!


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## muddstopper (May 26, 2020)

We grow a leaf lettuce. I had my first fresh salad out of it today. I have never counted the cuttings. It seems we just pull off what we need and it just keeps growing. As for planting your peppers, I think I would just go ahead and plant them in the lettuce beds. It will be summer before they produce anyways and they will grow taller than the lettuce. Leaving the plants in those little pots to long and they will become root bound and not produce to their fullest capacity


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## Backyard Lumberjack (Jun 1, 2020)

I have tried several variety of lettuce in my home garden. of course, down here head lettuce does not produce well due to heat. but leafy like oak leaf or a romaine do well. I don't grow much lettuce. for me, store bot is good enuff. we eat a lot of it. both head and romaine...

best romaine I ever ate was from a home garden up in Seattle, Wa... cold climate. had a great flavor, I mean actually had a flavor. and was sweet, too. oh my gosh, where is the ranch dressing. store bot romaine cannot compare to that great Pac NW romaine...


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## muddstopper (Jun 1, 2020)

Backyard Lumberjack said:


> I have tried several variety of lettuce in my home garden. of course, down here head lettuce does not produce well due to heat. but leafy like oak leaf or a romaine do well. I don't grow much lettuce. for me, store bot is good enuff. we eat a lot of it. both head and romaine...
> 
> best romaine I ever ate was from a home garden up in Seattle, Wa... cold climate. had a great flavor, I mean actually had a flavor. and was sweet, too. oh my gosh, where is the ranch dressing. store bot romaine cannot compare to that great Pac NW romaine...
> 
> View attachment 832567


Decided to do a little research after reading your post. I didn't know lettuce is a member of the daisy family. We never had good luck with any type of head lettuce. It usually gets eaten up by bugs before it ever makes heads. The leaf types we sow in small beds early. It seems to hold up to frost pretty well. We harvest what we need using scissors. As long as the plants are kept cut, it will continue to grow. Large leaves will get stringy and bitter and start putting out seed heads, but keep it cut back and it will produce most of the summer. I have never tried growing Romaine, might try some next year.


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## PA. Woodsman (Jun 1, 2020)

Thank you for all the great replies. We got what we could out of it but it looks like it has come to an end, it is still growing but it got very strange looking, instead of being firm the leaves are now bent and very straggly looking, we had some very unusually hot days last week and that always seems to do it in for us, so it looks like it will be pulled out and replaced by some peppers. We got two cuts out of it, the second wasn't quite as good as the first was, but it was wonderful, such a difference from store bought!


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## PA. Woodsman (Jun 1, 2020)

muddstopper said:


> Decided to do a little research after reading your post. I didn't know lettuce is a member of the daisy family. We never had good luck with any type of head lettuce. It usually gets eaten up by bugs before it ever makes heads. The leaf types we sow in small beds early. It seems to hold up to frost pretty well. We harvest what we need using scissors. As long as the plants are kept cut, it will continue to grow. Large leaves will get stringy and bitter and start putting out seed heads, but keep it cut back and it will produce most of the summer. I have never tried growing Romaine, might try some next year.


Please read what I just posted in post #9, and could you tell me do you think if I cut it when it is very short maybe I could keep it going longer so that it doesn't get straggly looking and bitter tasting? There are a few plants that are small because they were just cut last week, I am wondering IF I cut them when they are small if they would stay good tasting or would the Summer's heat do them in like it always seems to here?

Thank you!


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## Backyard Lumberjack (Jun 1, 2020)

PA. Woodsman said:


> Please read what I just posted in post #9, and could you tell me do you think if I cut it when it is very short maybe I could keep it going longer so that it doesn't get straggly looking and bitter tasting? There are a few plants that are small because they were just cut last week, I am wondering IF I cut them when they are small if they would stay good tasting or would the Summer's heat do them in like it always seems to here? Thank you!



hi PA - sounds to me like you are experiencing what is called horticultural 'bolting'. as mentioned below, there are strains now less prone to bolting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolting_(horticulture)

reference comment on subject:









Why Causes Plant Bolting? And How Can You Prevent It?


Bolting is part of the natural plant life cycle, but when you want an optimal harvest, you don't want your plants to bolt. Here is what you need to do...




morningchores.com


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## Backyard Lumberjack (Jun 1, 2020)

here is a romaine I have grown. did well here in grow zone 9



https://www.readypac.com/product/caesar-romaine/


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## Backyard Lumberjack (Jun 1, 2020)

as mentioned in several references... cool weather leafy crops once approaching their maturity tend to or will bolt. I grow cilantro as a fall crop. does very well here in grow zone 9. fresh store bot is great, but only garden fresh is the optimal ideal! I really like it. eat it as a lettuce. a bit of a combo... watercress and lettuce. I can eat it with almost anything, sans... ice cream... lol and as a side with  ! lol. I have made some real tasty cream of cilantro soup. keeps well in refer if has clean cut stems and is in water. covered like in jar and a light veg plastic bag, clear like from grocery. that way i get 'many cuts off it!'  I eat leaves and stems... one of my fav herbs, next to rosemary -


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## Backyard Lumberjack (Jun 1, 2020)

Varieties of Heat-Tolerant Lettuce


Varieties of Heat-Tolerant Lettuce. Lettuce is normally considered a cool-weather crop because of its tendency to bolt -- producing a center stalk containing blooms and seeds -- and become bitter when the temperature reaches 80 degrees. However, some lettuces tolerate heat better than others...




homeguides.sfgate.com













Growing Lettuce and How to Grow Lettuce in Hot Weather


Growing lettuce is relatively easy as long as it is cool enough! To successfully grow lettuce in hot weather you need to know a few tricks...



www.tropicalpermaculture.com





lots info and advice online regarding growing lettuce in hot climes or temps...


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## PA. Woodsman (Jun 1, 2020)

Backyard Lumberjack said:


> Varieties of Heat-Tolerant Lettuce
> 
> 
> Varieties of Heat-Tolerant Lettuce. Lettuce is normally considered a cool-weather crop because of its tendency to bolt -- producing a center stalk containing blooms and seeds -- and become bitter when the temperature reaches 80 degrees. However, some lettuces tolerate heat better than others...
> ...


Hey thanks a million, these look like they are all great! I just popped in for a quick lunch before doing more yardwork and popped on here quick and I will surely read them tonight when I have more time!

I went out to a Mennonite farm today and got what are called "Apple" peppers, no one close to me carries them so I drove a bit for them. Had them a few years ago and they were little red peppers and they were sweet and good, hopefully they will grow well for us! I am keeping them in their little planters for now because they are literally only about 2 inches tall, so they need to grow before I can put them in, so that gives me some time to toy around and experiment with the lettuce that is left lol!!!

Great stuff, much obliged!!!


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## muddstopper (Jun 1, 2020)

PA. Woodsman said:


> Please read what I just posted in post #9, and could you tell me do you think if I cut it when it is very short maybe I could keep it going longer so that it doesn't get straggly looking and bitter tasting? There are a few plants that are small because they were just cut last week, I am wondering IF I cut them when they are small if they would stay good tasting or would the Summer's heat do them in like it always seems to here?
> 
> Thank you!


several people have already answered this and supplied some good links. You never said what kind of lettuce you planted. Like I said, head lettuce doesn't do well here because it does get to hot. Some of the leafy lettuce do better in hot weather, and some don't. I have already had two cutting off my lettuce and expect several more. We shear the lettuce bed like shearing sheep. Keep it watered and it will continue to produce. One other thing I havent really thought about before, but we do tend to plant lettuce in the shady part of the garden. I don't plan it that way, it just seems that how it always works out. The partial shade might be why I can grow lettuce way into summer. First year gardening at my new place, raised beds instead of regular planting. Have to wait and see how everything grows before I can say its a success. My taters are waist high and falling over. Don't know if I'll have all vines or taters down under.


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## Backyard Lumberjack (Jun 1, 2020)

muddstopper said:


> several people have already answered this and supplied some good links. You never said what kind of lettuce you planted. Like I said, head lettuce doesn't do well here because it does get to hot. Some of the leafy lettuce do better in hot weather, and some don't. I have already had two cutting off my lettuce and expect several more. We shear the lettuce bed like shearing sheep. Keep it watered and it will continue to produce. One other thing I havent really thought about before, but we do tend to plant lettuce in the shady part of the garden. I don't plan it that way, it just seems that how it always works out. The partial shade might be why I can grow lettuce way into summer. First year gardening at my new place, raised beds instead of regular planting. Have to wait and see how everything grows before I can say its a success. *My taters are waist high and falling over. Don't know if I'll have all vines or taters down under. *



well, let us know. when we grow potatoes, reds usually, we hill them as high as we can. any pix now?


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## muddstopper (Jun 2, 2020)

Backyard Lumberjack said:


> well, let us know. when we grow potatoes, reds usually, we hill them as high as we can. any pix now?


I 'll try to take a pic when its gets daylite after while. I only planted 5 lbs of seed. More a test of growing in a bed than anything else. We planted Yukon gold. So far my problems with the beds is the soil in them. Previous owners build the bed and filled it with dirt. My first planting of onions rotted in the ground, we have replanted and they seem to be doing better. I suspect a lot of things about this soil. I plan on testing before next planting season. Previous owners left a lot of triple 17 fertilizer in the garden shed, I suspect previous over fertilizations is why my taters are so tall and leggy. Hopefully there is as much growth under ground as there is on top.


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## PA. Woodsman (Jun 2, 2020)

muddstopper said:


> several people have already answered this and supplied some good links. You never said what kind of lettuce you planted. Like I said, head lettuce doesn't do well here because it does get to hot. Some of the leafy lettuce do better in hot weather, and some don't. I have already had two cutting off my lettuce and expect several more. We shear the lettuce bed like shearing sheep. Keep it watered and it will continue to produce. One other thing I havent really thought about before, but we do tend to plant lettuce in the shady part of the garden. I don't plan it that way, it just seems that how it always works out. The partial shade might be why I can grow lettuce way into summer. First year gardening at my new place, raised beds instead of regular planting. Have to wait and see how everything grows before I can say its a success. My taters are waist high and falling over. Don't know if I'll have all vines or taters down under.


This time I planted Bibb and Great Lakes lettuce, it's in a big planter box next to the patio and we have never seen any rabbits in it eating it until this morning, I look out and see the same rabbit eating some that I chased from the tomato and pepper raised garden bed last night and the day before so that one is a problem!! But yes those were some great links, and I read that Red Sails is a good one that can hold up to the heat and I have planted that before and it also mentioned shade which you said too, and this doesn't get much shade so that also is a factor.


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## CentaurG2 (Jun 2, 2020)

Best repeat cut lettuce I have grown is an heirloom called Amish deer tongue. It is slow to bolt and will also grow in the shade. It even tastes good. Black seeded Simpson is another good bet and seeds are usually available in any garden store.


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## muddstopper (Jun 2, 2020)

PA. Woodsman said:


> This time I planted Bibb and Great Lakes lettuce, it's in a big planter box next to the patio and we have never seen any rabbits in it eating it until this morning, I look out and see the same rabbit eating some that I chased from the tomato and pepper raised garden bed last night and the day before so that one is a problem!! But yes those were some great links, and I read that Red Sails is a good one that can hold up to the heat and I have planted that before and it also mentioned shade which you said too, and this doesn't get much shade so that also is a factor.


Looked them up and it looks like the bibb and great lakes are both a type of head lettuce. I don't think either one would do good here. Might get one or two cutting a year as you do, but I don't see them producing in the summer time. We plant the green leaf and red sail. This year my green leaf seems to be doing good, the red sail not so much. We don't do rows, we just scatter/sprinkle the seeds in the bed and then pat into the soil. Actually, my big foot presses the seed into the soil. The red sail and green leaf will bolt and if you want to save the seed, then that's ok. We just cut it back and this encourages new growth. The lettuce that bolts turns bitter, cant eat it so might as well clip it off.


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## PA. Woodsman (Jun 2, 2020)

Well I was looking at this lettuce and realized that I was making my assumption on it based how twisted the Great Lakes was and realized that it might be a smart idea to maybe TASTE some, duh?! I did and it wasn't too bad, despite how it looked it wasn't too bad, not bitter, I'll see what the wife thinks but I picked it and I'll eat it if she doesn't, but I don't know how much more I will get from it, they want the mid 80's the next 4 days so that might not be too good for it. Some of the plants have just dried up and died so I yanked them out, but there is some new growth on some others so I will continue to experiment with it until it is time to put these little Apple peppers in!

Thanks for the replies, info and advice!


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## PA. Woodsman (Jun 7, 2020)

Yesterday I took the remaining lettuce plants that looked like they still had life left in them and transplanted them into pots, they were ones that were cut down and small but they were coming back again so hopefully this way I can put them in some shade as the pots are movable. I planted the little Apple peppers, only about 2.5 inches tall or so where the lettuce was in the box next to the patio and had to "barracade" a few sides of it since last week I saw a rabbit standing up on the side of it eating the lettuce. I also had to put a small fence around the tomatoes and peppers in the garden down below since said rabbit has to chew on the pepper plants.


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## PA. Woodsman (Jun 14, 2020)

None of the lettuce plants survived the transplant. It was worth a try I guess, but they were dying out and would've died even if I had left them where they were.


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## J.W Younger (Jun 14, 2020)

PA. Woodsman said:


> None of the lettuce plants survived the transplant. It was worth a try I guess, but they were dying out and would've died even if I had left them where they were.


I planted too late and mine didn't make it either.


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