Cut and come again salad

Cut-and-come-again salad leaves

Recurring rocket!

It is easy to assume that salad is not worth growing and guessing that it has an almost non-existent yield. However, with cut-and-come-again salad leaves you can have several harvests of the small salad leaves over a long period of time.  This is achieved by cutting the leaves before they have been allowed to mature- which enables the plant to sprout again for another harvest.

How to grow and harvest

• – After you have sown your seeds simply wait until the leaves grow to an appetising size
• – When the leaves look to be the size you want, snip them off at approximately an inch above the root for a fresh salad
• – for the crisp and crunchiest leaves do this in the morning.
• – when the leaves become slightly bitter or start to flower you should uproot and compost them – each seed should produce 3-4 harvests
• – we suggest sowing seeds in batches every couple of weeks to create a continuous harvest.

Now that we are in May, these crops can work equally well in patches or, for those who have less space, in small patio containers.

What to use

The following are perfect seeds to use as cut-and-come-again leaves;

Basil, beetroot, coriander, chard, dandelion, land cress, leaf celery, lettuce, mizuna, mustard, pak choi, parsley, radicchio, red kale, rocket, sea kale and spinach.

Our garden centres also sell some cut-and-come-again salad plants in mini 6 packs. Each pack costs just £2 and we have varieties like mixed Mibuna and Mizuna, chard, pak choi, sky rocket and spinach amazon.

Please call ahead to check availability and prices before making a special journey.

(Old Rydon Lane; 01392 876281, Clyst St Mary; 01392 876281).