Photo by Zack Snipes
Smart vegetable gardening is all about planning. We choose the plants we want and how to grow them, but we don’t always plan ways of harvesting to maximize our yields. One thoughtful way to extend crop harvests is by growing “cut and come again” vegetables and herbs.
“Cut and come again” refers to plants that can be harvested several times over the growing season. The young, outer leaves or growth of many edible plants can be harvested, leaving behind the center growing point, where new plant parts are formed, to allow new growth to develop for future harvests. Cut and come again makes efficient use of limited space in raised beds, containers and small gardens, because more edible plant parts are harvested from each plant over a longer period.
Lettuce is perhaps the most popular and easiest-to-grow vegetable for cut-and-come-again harvests. Several types of lettuces thrive during our mild fall and winter seasons (iceberg is the only exception) and can be grown and harvested during those cooler months.
Store-bought lettuce is typically cut once and sold as a head of lettuce. The farmer cuts the entire plant, leaving only the roots behind. Home gardeners who grow loose-leaf or head-forming lettuces can harvest using the cut-and-come-again method, picking only a few leaves from the outside of each plant as needed for meals. Clemson Extension recommends a few cultivars for Southern gardens: Simpson Elite, a green loose-leaf; Red Sails, a red loose-leaf; Buttercrunch, a Boston type; or Parris Island Cos, a heat-tolerant romaine lettuce.
Mesclun lettuce refers to a mixture of red and green loose-leaf lettuces, along with other greens, such as endive, escarole, arugula and chervil, that are grown together and harvested while young for tender, flavorful salads. Harvest the baby leaves using sharp, clean scissors when they are only a few weeks old. These tender greens can be cut two or three times before the plants cease production.
Seed mixes of gourmet leaf lettuces and mesclun greens are widely available and easy to grow in garden beds or in shallow containers such as wooden boxes, flats or garden pots. Sprinkle seeds over the surface of the bed or a container filled with soilless growing media. Press the seeds down lightly, and keep them well watered as the tender leaves develop. Don’t cover lettuce seeds completely; they need light to germinate. Provide a little shade from intense sunlight to keep the leaves tender and sweet.
Other fall-grown greens to cut and come again include Swiss chard, kale, Chinese cabbage, mustard greens and collards.
Fresh, garden-grown broccoli is unmatched for its nutty, sweet flavor. While the entire plant is edible, most people prefer the cluster of unopened flower buds, or florets. Gardeners can harvest more florets by using a sharp knife to remove the first large head, leaving the foliage and main stem in place. Soon after, smaller florets will grow along the main stem; these can also be harvested with a knife. Don’t discard florets that have opened flowers; they are just as tasty and can be sauteed or roasted with garlic and olive oil for a delicious treat.
Cool-season herbs, such as parsley and cilantro, are great cut-and-come-again plants. Snip their outer leaves, leaving the central rosette behind. Cilantro grows well in zones 8–10 from fall until spring, when the heat forces the plants to flower and die. Harvest and save the seeds (coriander) to add to soups and dressings.
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Amy L. Dabbs is an area horticulture agent for Clemson Extension based in Charleston County. Contact her at adabbs@clemson.edu.