Romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. Longifolia)grows quickly and tolerates hot climates better than other lettuce varieties. Another advantage of romaine lettuce is that it grows fast and can be harvested quickly for your meals. In this article, we will explain how to harvest romaine lettuce without killing the plant, so you can harvest it for a long time.
To have a constant harvest of romaine lettuce from spring to fall, it is best to grow romaine lettuce every 3 weeks, so you should always have fresh romaine lettuce in your meals. If you live in an area that does not have freezing winters you will be able to harvest romaine lettuce all year round but to learn more, we recommend our article about how to grow lettuce.
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When to Harvest Romaine Lettuce
When to Harvest Romaine Lettuce? As previously mentioned, romaine lettuce grows easily and quickly, in approximately 55 to 65 days romaine lettuce will be ready to harvest.
Harvest romaine lettuce when plants are 6″ to 8″ (15 to 20 cm) long, before that do not harvest romaine lettuce to allow the plant to develop properly.
You will also know when to harvest romaine lettuce by observing that the color of the romaine lettuce is dark green and the head of the lettuce is firm to the touch. This is the ideal time to harvest romaine lettuce, if you let too much time pass the leaves will become tough and the taste of romaine lettuce will be bitter.
It is best to harvest romaine lettuce in the morning when the leaves are crispest. Never harvest romaine lettuce when it is very hot.
How to Harvest Romaine Lettuce Without Killing the Plant
How to Harvest Romaine Lettuce Without Killing the Plant? Harvesting romaine lettuce without killing the plant is very simple, first, make sure the romaine lettuce plant is 6″ to 8″ (15 to 20 cm) tall. If you feel that the head of romaine lettuce is firm to the touch, it is time to harvest the lettuce.
Always start by harvesting the outer leaves of romaine lettuce, these are the oldest and most mature leaves of the plant. Use a sharp, disinfected knife to harvest romaine lettuce leaves without damaging the plant. A clean cut on the lettuce plant will ensure that it continues to grow so that you can harvest more lettuce.
To harvest romaine lettuce without killing the plant, cut 1″ (2.5 cm) above the soil. After a while, you will be able to harvest romaine lettuce again, but it will be a little less than your first harvest and the leaves will be a little more separated.
In these two ways, you should harvest the outer leaves of romaine lettuce or harvest almost the entire romaine lettuce plant without killing the plant. I like to harvest romaine lettuce leaf by leaf when I need it for my meals, this way I always have fresh romaine lettuce.
You may also be interested in our article on how to harvest lettuce without killing the plant, in that article we talk about several species of lettuce.
Does Romaine Lettuce Grow Back After Cutting
Does Romaine Lettuce Grow Back After Cutting? Of course, romaine lettuce will grow back after cutting, as long as you do it correctly. Start by harvesting the outer leaves of the romaine lettuce and if you are harvesting almost the entire plant, cut it 1″ (2.5 cm) above the soil.
Remember to use a sharp, sanitized knife or scissors. A perfect cut on romaine lettuce will ensure that it will regrow properly, and you will have more romaine lettuce harvests during the season.
We hope that this article on how to harvest romaine lettuce without killing the plant will be of great use and that you will have an excellent harvest. We recommend our article about how to grow hydroponic lettuce, a very interesting cultivation technique.
