Cut and Come Again Greens

One thing that makes many greens such a joy to grow is the fact that some of them can be harvested several times over the growing season.

It’s early April, and I have already sown my spinach and lettuce. Later in the season I’ll have Swiss chard, kale, tatsoi, and bopak pak choi as well. All of these plants have the unique feature of being "cut-and-come-again" greens. These are plants that can be repeatedly harvested, so long as only a small portion of the foliage is removed each time.

Romaine lettuce is an ideal cut-and-come-again green. A few leaves from each of these plants will be just enough for a nice Caesar salad!

How do I do it?

When harvesting from cut-and-come-again greens, one mimics animal-grazing behavior by taking small amounts from each plant until enough has been gathered for a meal. In this way, instead of just harvesting a whole lettuce plant, which is the way it is typically bought it in a store, harvest a leaf or two from each plant every time greens are needed for a meal.