[Alistair1392]

I heard somewhere the other day that if you harvest lettuces with the roots still attached, then cutting the edible end off, then submerge the roots in a pot of water that the lettuce would start to regrow. Now I'm into experimenting with plants so I thought it would be worth a go. So three days on and it's really growing strong again. The question is, when I go to replant it, as it's sat on the kitchen windowsill, will it need planting in the greenhouse then hardening off, or will it be happy enough going straight into the garden.

[oldgrunge]

Not heard of this one, but if you cut a lettuce and leave it's roots in the ground, it will often regrow.

[DD.]

Much simpler to leave it where it was and just let it carry on isn't it!

[mumofstig]

Isn't that why some salad mixes are called 'cut & come again'?   

[Alistair1392]

The lettuce in question was one that I was given from a neighbouring allotment so that wasn't an option, in future I plan on just leaving the roots in the ground and feeding, I'm just playing around to be perfectly honest to see how it works out.

[LottyLouis]

Ah, now - my absolute favourite sort of lettuce - 'Cut and Come Again.' I grow them every year. I think the one I've got at the moment is Salad Bowl - green, crisp and ultra frilly! I grow them outdoors in pots and just two plants will last us all summer - they go on and on and on. Just pull a few leaves off the outside and the plant more than makes up for it. Superb!   

[Alistair1392]

The cut and come again is amazing stuff. This lettuce I'm using isn't a cut and come again but seems to be working out that way. I just love playing around and experimenting with gardening and plants.

[Norfolkgrey]

Have a gurgle  of growing veg from scraps, lots of experimenting ideas 

[Blackpool rocket]

I buy living lettuce from Lidl, it's 69p I think & must contain at least 30 lettuce.
We eat the leaves then I seperate them out & plant them. Spaced further apart they always thrive for a second & sometimes third picking.
My 69p worth can last months!! & there is always a good mix of leaves.

A couple of pics, the bought tray & some planted in the garden.

Br

[Headgardener22]

Whilst I know that cut and come again lettuce works, I just sow lettuce regularly through the year, enough to get about 12 plants a fortnight. I plant them with a 7cm pots worth of compost so I keep adding to the soil (its heavy clay and needs all the help it can get).

[DD.]

You'll never be short if you use this method of consecutive sowing. Doing the first stage prompts you to do the other two:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=113538.msg1299723#msg1299723

[Headgardener22]

You'll never be short if you use this method of consecutive sowing. Doing the first stage prompts you to do the other two:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=113538.msg1299723#msg1299723

That's more or less what I do. Except I sow three varieties in 7cm pots each time and then pot them up into 7cm pots 5 of each when they're large enough to handle. I have about 20 different lettuce varieties and cycle through them through the year so I get a variety of different sorts to choose from.

[sunshineband]

I buy living lettuce from Lidl, it's 69p I think & must contain at least 30 lettuce.
We eat the leaves then I seperate them out & plant them. Spaced further apart they always thrive for a second & sometimes third picking.
My 69p worth can last months!! & there is always a good mix of leaves.

A couple of pics, the bought tray & some planted in the garden.

Br

I did this last year with a tray that had been reduced to 50p in the supermarket. It was amazing all Summer long. One of the red frilly ones went to seed and I have  a few self sown red seedlings popped up now. Talk about good value for money! 

[Blackpool rocket]

I just don't have the time to sow in pots & transplant. I did sow about 60 seeds in the spring, not one germinated. 

I find that replanting the stumps works well for me. If my seed sowing had been successful, I might feel differently. 

Br

[mumofstig]

I just don't have the time to sow in pots & transplant. I did sow about 60 seeds in the spring, not one germinated.

I bet some did but the slugs saw them before you did