Cut-and-come-again

Cut-and-come-again is a way of growing leafy crops so that one sowing gives you several harvests rather than a single one. Instead of pulling up the whole plant, you take only what you need each time and leave the plant in the ground to carry on growing. It is one of the easiest and most rewarding habits for a beginner, because a short row can keep a kitchen in salad for weeks.

There are two main methods. The first is to pick the outer leaves by hand, working from the outside in, and leaving the young leaves at the centre to develop. The second is to cut the whole plant low with scissors, about 2–3cm above the soil, so it sprouts a fresh flush from the base. Both work well; outer-leaf picking tends to keep plants productive for longer, while cutting low gives you a quick, even batch.

Which crops suit it

The classic candidates are leafy crops that regrow readily from the centre or base:

• Loose-leaf (non-hearting) lettuce such as 'Salad Bowl' or 'Lollo Rossa' — the everyday cut-and-come-again staple.
• Rocket, both salad and wild rocket, which bounces back quickly in cool weather.
• Chard and perpetual spinach, which crop generously over a long season from outer-leaf picking.
• True spinach, oriental leaves like mizuna and pak choi, and many baby-leaf mixes.

Firm-hearting lettuces such as 'Little Gem' don't suit the method, as they grow a single dense heart you harvest in one go.

How many cuts to expect

In a UK garden you can usually expect three to four cuttings from a healthy plant before it tires or runs to seed. Cut-and-come-again leaves are fast: after each pick, regrowth takes roughly two to three weeks in warm weather, longer in spring and autumn when growth slows. Keep plants well watered and pick before the leaves get large and bitter, as this encourages tender new growth.

The main thing that ends the run is bolting — when warm, dry spells or long days push the plant to flower, the leaves turn bitter and harvesting stops. To keep a steady supply, pair this method with successional sowing, starting a new short row every two to three weeks from spring through to late summer. A small sowing under a cloche or in a container of salad leaves can extend the season well into autumn, giving you home-grown leaves long after the shops charge a premium for a bag.