Grow a ‘Cut and Come Again’ salad garden

How to grow a Salad!

Thinking about ‘Cut and Come Again’ salad gardens…you may have already started lettuce or mesclun seeds or found some healthy starts to plant.

For Cut and Come again, you snip off the leaves about an inch and a half from the soil, make your salad, then two weeks later you can cut again.

 

How to:

Sow or plant lettuces, Spinach, Onions and chives. Any herbs

Sow seeds and cover them with a tiny bit of soil.

Sow seeds or plant starts in low container for lettuces in a container, under grow lights, in a raised bed or garden row. Many gardeners can sow seeds until June, every two weeks in succession.

In about three weeks, cut lettuce leaves, only enough for tonight’s salad, about two inches from the soil to ‘harvest’

Plants will continue to grow and produce every two weeks!

For more on wintersowing, see Winter sowing Wizards

 

 

 

 

 Barb Hudson says, “I have a really nice mixture of fresh “herbs in pots” kitchen garden near the back door which is our main entrance. And your favorite side dish, herbed roast potatoes is also my “go to” potato dish only I use wedges of big bakers. When friends come over for dinner, I serve roast pork, roasted potatoes and carrots, with a salad of snap peas, red onions and tiny tomatoes – dessert might be something purchased!”

 

 

Jeanne Sammons tells us, “My miniature garden turned into an ‘herb garden’ on the patio this year … enamel pan, an old rusted out bucket, some doorknobs, a sun and some plant plates separated the herbs when they were first planted…can’t see ’em now!

 

Catharine Robertson-Lepage says, “Awhile back I saw the photo that was posted with a veggie garden planted in pallets. I decided to give it a try alongside my traditional raised bed garden……fabulous weed-free results!! Thanks for sharing such unique and wonderful ideas! This is a fantastic site!”

When using edibles grown in pallets:

Pallets marked “MB” should never be used for gardening or fuel, while those with the letters “HT” (shown below) were heat treated or kiln dried and are safe to reuse.

 

Jeanie Merritt tells us, “Today I gathered some parsley from my patio. Last winter I sought out galvanized buckets at inside flea markets for my herbs. Not only do the buckets contain them attractively, but you can move them around in your garden or patio. And who doesn’t like the look of galvanized in the garden? This parsley is still going strong, but last nights cold and chilly temperatures here in Ohio made it look a little sad. I might freeze it for later use?”

 

As close as possible to the kitchen door is the best place so you can keep an eye on the moisture level and remember to harvest them.  Last year, I planted a quick start salad garden in my tubs, red and green lettuces, chives and onions,…everything I need for a salad.

 

The Cut-and-Come-Again Lettuce with Renee Shepherd

Here is a great video by Renee of Renee Shepherd’s seeds  for a great demonstration!

 

Recipe: Homemade DIY Salad Dressing

This is my favorite DIY salad dressing I make fresh and that lasts me a week or so. Guests seem to rave about it!

DIY Creamy Salad Dressing
• 1 clove garlic, minced (about ½ teaspoon) and/or minced chives ,…any fresh herbs, parsley, oregano, or dill.
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoons Mayonnaise
• ¼ cup white wine or apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Dash salt and pepper

Whisk all ingredients
in a bowl and store
in a Mason jar or glass
dressing bottle up to
a week in the fridge.

More on edibles:

Grow the 7 most profitable vegetables in your garden

10 Flea Market Seed-Starting Tips

Galvanized tomato garden for one

Marie’s Rust Garden

My galvanized wash tub garden

My green onion farm

A culinary herb basket