Cut-and-come-again lettuces: from sowing to harvest, many benefits

Do you know cut-and-come-again salads? Among the many types of salads, heading varieties appeal to many gardeners, both for their generous appearance, the crunch or the thickness of their leaves. But once harvested, they must be sown again... unlike the one I'm going to talk about today!

Cut-and-come-again salads are largely represented by lettuces, in particular Oak Leaf, but also by the different varieties that make up mescluns. This type of salad does not form a head: its leaves, smooth or curled, fairly thin, are arranged in rosettes, more or less compact. Although visually a little less attractive (perhaps…), they offer many advantages and deserve a place in the vegetable garden.

Cut-and-come-again salads grow… and regrow quickly

As their name suggests, these salads are cut. They are harvested without pulling up the root but simply by cutting the leaves. What makes them particularly interesting (and productive) is that they regrow, and quickly. Not indefinitely, of course, but two or three times at least. Harvest as needed, from the young-leaf stage or later, at maturity.

They can be sown almost all year round!

These small salads are easy to grow and can be sown almost all year round: generally under cover from October to February and outdoors from March to September.

Sow them as you prefer: in plug plants or in a pot for lettuces (which will help prevent them being eaten by slugs and snails) or directly in open ground, in rows or broadcast, especially for mescluns.

Greens to grow anywhere: in the vegetable garden or in pots

Less bulky than heading lettuces or heading chicories, cut-and-come-again salads also have the advantage of being able to be grown almost anywhere. They can be planted on their own, in a space dedicated to the vegetable garden, or interplanted between the rows of other vegetables (they are generally good neighbours), which will shade them in summer.

They are perfect for anyone with limited space in the garden or no garden at all! They take up little room in a raised bed and can even be grown indoors in winter then on a balcony or windowsill, in pots, in planters and even in a vertical garden.

En jardinière ou sous châssis, en hiver : les salades à couper sont faciles à cultiver

Cut-and-come-again salads: a wide selection

With green, blonde or purple leaves, smooth or curly, these salads come in a wide range of colour, texture and flavour. Simply put, there's something for everyone! Among the best-known varieties are lettuces, represented by Oak Leaf, the Salad Bowl (red or green) and the superb Lollo Bionda and Lollo Rossa.

Laitues à couper : Feuille de Chêne blonde - Lollo Rossa - Red Salad Bowl

If you particularly enjoy variety and the convenience of seed mixes, go for mescluns. As well as being "all‑in‑one", they offer often bold flavours that are perfect for enhancing summer dishes.

Among my favourites are:

	Organic Niçoise mesclun (Ferme de Sainte Marthe). Composed of lettuces, chicory, spinach, rocket and chervil (among others!), it's a rich mix that allows you to make the traditional Provençal mesclun. Presented as a seed tape, it is very quick to sow and largely removes the chore of thinning. Sowing: March to July
	"Speedy Mix" blend (Thompson & Morgan) offers, in a single packet, a fine assortment that grows at speed. It is composed of rocket, watercress and oriental mustard and delivers a pleasantly piquant flavour. Sowing: March to September.
	The assortment "The Good Life Mix" (Thompson & Morgan) is perfect for growing under an unheated shelter in late autumn and winter. It includes rather rare varieties (Komatsuna, Mizuna, mustard, Pak choi), delicious and ideal for harvesting young shoots. Sowing: March to October