When we started regrowing our own cuttings, we couldn’t believe we’d spent so many years discarding living plants that were crying out to be given another chance at life. When you become familiar with the process, a fast-growing leafy vegetable like a lettuce will never look the same. The very part you might toss into your garbage or compost (the tough heart at the base) is packed with the powerful energy needed to regrow itself into a fine leafy specimen all over again.
Within the first few days regrown lettuce hearts begin to bubble with tiny new leaves, and within a few weeks the tender new stems of your future salad will be bursting into life.
| Growing speed | Medium |
| Difficulty level | Medium |
| Position | Sunny |
| Temperature | Cool |
| Use | Edible |
| Container | Medium |
You will need
Sharp knife
Jam jar, flat-bottomed bowl or plastic tray with raised sides
Fresh water
Plant pot with drainage holes and drip tray (optional)
Potting compost (optional)
To regrow lettuce
| 1 | When you’re preparing a fresh lettuce to be eaten, make sure you cut off and save the bottom 5–7.5cm (2–3in) of the core. This section will now become your vegetable’s lifeline to reincarnation. |
| 2 | Place the heart of your lettuce in a clean jam jar. If you are planning on regrowing more than one lettuce at a time, choose a shallow, flat-bottomed serving bowl or a plastic tray with raised sides so that each of your lettuce hearts can access the same amount of water. |
| 3 | Fill your vessel with enough fresh, cool water to cover the base of your lettuce heart, but not enough to submerge the top of the cutting. This is usually a depth of about 2–4cm (¾–1½in). |
| 4 | Place in a sunny location. It’s recommended that you refresh the water every other day. This will avoid the water becoming stagnant, and will also replenish any liquid lost to evaporation. |
| 5 | Although new growth is on the way, you might see areas of the old lettuce heart that have become brown and withered. Carefully trim these away with a sharp knife so they don’t contaminate your plant’s water supply. |
| 6 | The fresh green leaves are ready to be eaten at any time, so it’s up to you to decide how big you want them to grow before you snip them off and add them to your salad. |
| 7 | If you wish, you can easily transplant your growing lettuce heart into a pot of potting compost, which will give it enough nutrients to achieve a full regrowth. |
Tips
Trim away any brown leaves to avoid rot.
Tiny new leaves make a pretty garnish for hors d’oeuvres.
You’ll always find new varieties of lettuce to experiment with. Try growing several different types together at the same time.
Grow lettuce on your windowsills all year round. With the right care and attention, you’ll always have a homegrown salad on hand.