Harvesting is easy and fun! You get to decide how and when to do it, but we have two techniques we recommend to get the most out of your plants. The method you decide to use will depend on the plant you are harvesting, your flavor preferences, how you are going to use your harvest, and how much a recipe calls for.  If you use the Lettuce Grow app, we’ll also help you track what plants you have growing and which harvest method we recommend for each of them. This resource will help you learn how to harvest from your Farmstand, how to store your harvests, and why harvesting frequently is important.

The two ways we harvest are: ‘whole plant’ and ‘cut and come again’.

is when you completely remove a plant from the Farmstand (it will not grow back). With

, you remove a few parts of a plant and leave the rest in the Farmstand to continue growing.

Watch the video below to learn about these harvesting techniques and continue reading below for more detailed information!

The chart below has helpful reference points on when plants are ready for harvest, but your plants’ growth rates can vary based on your climate, growing set up and maintenance. The Lettuce Grow app can help you track your plant growth personalized to your specific growing setup.  Check out our seedling variety profiles for additional harvesting guidance, pictures, and videos!

Cut and come again is when you harvest part of the plant and leave the rest in the Farmstand to continue growing. If you only need to use a little bit of a plant or prefer younger growth that is more tender, this method is perfect for you.

You should always remove the largest and oldest leaves when using this method. For lettuces, these will be the leaves on the outside of the plant since new growth develops in the center of the seedling. For herbs and leafy greens, these will typically be the largest leaves that are growing on the seedling.

Whole plant harvesting is when you completely remove a plant from the Farmstand, including the grow medium and root system. This method is ideal when you need a large amount of a plant or are harvesting a plant that will only give you one harvest, like cabbage or cauliflower.

For this method, remove the seedling by grabbing the grow cup instead of any stems or leaves. This will prevent damage to the plant. You can then cut off the roots and remove the grow medium from the grow cup. Grow cups are reusable so they should not be thrown away.

You can also use this technique in order to achieve a desired shape. For example, some lettuce, like butter lettuce, will form a dense head over time if it is left unharvested.

We recommend leaving plants in the Farmstand until you need to use them. This keeps them fresh, maintains their peak nutrient content, and prevents the need for storage. It also helps cut back on food waste resulting from unused harvests. If you need to harvest and store your plants, here are some tips on keeping them fresh!

• Keep entire plants fresh by placing their grow medium and roots in a dish with some water until you are ready to use it

• Wash loose leaves and wrap them in a damp paper towel, cloth, or produce bag before placing it in the fridge

Recipes Section

Zero Waste Harvest Tips

Fun Ways to Use Large Herb Harvests

How to Make a Farmstand Salad

The exact timeframe may depend on your individual growing environment but plants should be completely removed from the Farmstand after 6 - 8 weeks. When a seedling reaches this point, the app will tell you it is Time to Reorder. Older seedlings are more susceptible to pests and disease which may spread to younger seedlings. Their large root systems can also block or divert water from other plants and make it extremely difficult to remove plants from the Farmstand.

Plants may bolt if they have been growing for extended periods of time or are exposed to stressful conditions, like extreme changes in environment, hot temperatures, or longer days.

What is bolting?

What will happen if I don't remove my seedlings?

Your Lettuce Grow app can help you track your seedling growth, identify which plants you are growing, remind you to do maintenance, find recipes to use your harvests, and more!

Download the app for iOS or Android, then log in using your Lettuce Grow account. From there, you can manage your Farmstand set up, name your Farmstand, mark seedlings as harvested, and plan when it is time to reorder.

Seedlings can be found in the app on My Farm in the My Seedlings section. There, you can view each of your seedlings and easily determine which seedlings are still growing, which are Ready to Eat (either by cut and come again or whole harvest), and which seedlings it is Time to Reorder (whole harvest). The app’s harvest timing for each seedling is estimated because plants will grow at different rates depending on their environment. If our growth rate seems faster or slower than yours, no sweat! Keep us in the loop on your seedling statuses and we will adjust our timing to align better with how your plants are growing in the real world.

To adjust a seedling's growing speed, simply go to the My Seedlings section of the app located in My Farm, tap View All Seedlings, find the seedling you are looking for and tap it. This will bring up options to adjust the status of the seedling to match what status it is in on your Farmstand and recalculate its harvest timing.

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