The kale and lettuce plants we started indoors at the beginning of March are getting pretty big. We have been growing these plants in our hoophouse since March 7th and they are really starting to produce some food. Growing these plants in coco coir on racks using our own Gardner Cultivation Blend fertilizer allows us to grow a lot of greens in this space without damaging our lawn.
A sharp set of garden shears is the best tool for harvesting salad greens. Harvest the outer leaves by cutting them at the base. You can do this with both kale and lettuce and get several harvests of small greens.
Click here to purchase a set of precision pruning shears.
With lettuce it is usually best to harvest the whole plant sooner. Mini heads of lettuce are extra tasty and you can plant something new in that space once you harvest them. Lettuce is a fast growing crop so growing lots of plants and harvesting them quickly is a good strategy to produce lettuce for the table.
Wash greens in cold water and store them in a bag or tupperware to keep them from drying out and wilting. Fresh greens will keep for a couple weeks in the refrigerator.