Cut And Come Again Lettuce and Other Fall Veggies

Cut and come again lettuce is popular but did you know this gardening method works for growing many other vegetables during fall and winter?

The concept of planting a garden in the late summer for fall and early veggies isn’t new. But did you know that with a lot of plants, you don’t need to pull them up?

What is “Cut and Come Again?”

This notion is just what it sounds like. Plant your veggies, and when it comes time to harvest, you either cut a portion off or cut the entire top off to enjoy. Then, after a few weeks, they regrow and you can cut them off again.

Also, with cut and come again lettuce, you can continue to do this all fall and even into winter. Other veggies, like cabbage, do better if they are hit by a light frost. Lastly, I even dug Brussels sprouts out of the snow for Christmas dinner one year!

Cut and Come Again Lettuce and Other Veggies

Here are some great choices for this type of gardening:

Lettuce

The leafy types are best for cut and come again lettuce.

Arugula

Beets

You can cut the tops for weeks before you dig the bottoms

Bok Choy

Along with all the relatives like white Choy and green Choy

Celery

This may need to be covered if frost is heavy

Chickory

Chives

Garlic tops

Onions tops

Collards

Kale

Swiss Chard

Corn Salad (Mache)

Learn more about corn salad here.

Cress

All the cresses like watercress, mountain cress, and garden cress work great for the cut and come again method.

Dandelion

Radicchio

Romaine Lettuce

Another great cut and come again lettuce variety.

Spinach

Turnip Greens

Herbs

Some herbs such as Cilantro, Basil, Sage, Oregano, and Thyme may die at first frost, but covering them on cold nights will prolong the season. My thyme and oregano did fine all last winter. They did turn a burgundy color, but the flavor was fine.

Have you tried growing cut and come again lettuce or other veggies? Which ones work best for you?

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