Regrowing romaine lettuce at home is one of the easiest gardening activities you could possibly do. The next time you buy romaine lettuce from the supermarket, save the scraps!
If you've had bad luck with plants in the past, I have great news for you... it's nearly impossible to go wrong with regrowing romaine lettuce. It's so easy that I would encourage you to try this with your kids. This might be just the trick to get them to get some greens in their diet!
That's it! Doesn't sound too bad, right?
How to Regrow Lettuce from Scraps in 3 Easy Steps
Step #1
Grab the freshest head of store-bought romaine lettuce you have. The more green, the better.
Step #2
Cut about 2 inches from the bottom of the lettuce, leaving you with the romaine heart.
Pro tip: I found that shaving off a thin layer from the bottom of the stump really helps the romaine lettuce grow in the first few days, and ultimately giving it the best chance of growing roots.
Step #3
Place the romaine heart into a container with about 1 inch of water. Replace the water every couple of days.
And that's it! You'll notice growth at the top in just 24 hours!
Step #4 (Optional)
This step is not required, but I found that having the lettuce elevated helps promote root growth the quickest. To do this, insert toothpicks into the side of the lettuce (not too deep to prevent damaging the romaine heart) to prop it up. To be resourceful, I like to take 2 toothpicks and break them in half.
Pro tip: alternatively, use a net pot to prevent any damage to the romaine lettuce heart.
How Long Does it Take for Lettuce to Regrow?
The amazing thing about growing romaine lettuce is that you'll notice some growth in 24 hours. Over the next few days, the romaine lettuce will turn a darker, healthier green.
If you're planning on only growing romaine lettuce in water, I would suggest harvesting your regrown lettuce leaves in about 2-3 weeks. In just water, it will not get much bigger. It's not much, but it's the perfect amount to go in a wrap or sandwich.
If you wait any longer than 2-3 weeks, the lettuce may bolt from the center and eventually flower. At this point, the leaves will taste much more bitter.
Here's what it looks like just 3 days later:
And after about 2 weeks, we have enough lettuce leaves to pick and add to our sandwich or wrap!
Can You Grow Romaine Lettuce Indoors?
Absolutely! I found that the growing romaine lettuce indoors is best on a window sill so that the plant gets sufficient sunlight. You can keep it here and continue to harvest the leaves every 2-3 weeks as it grows.
If you prefer regrowing your lettuce outdoors, that's fine too, but make sure to place it under some kind of covering.
Does Lettuce Need Soil?
Growing romaine lettuce in water (hydroponically) will give it time to grow roots which is a must if you're planning on transplanting the lettuce into soil. Only in soil will it have enough nutrients to grow back to it's former store-bought size.
Trust me, I have tried transplanting lettuce into soil before any roots have grown and they have only survived for a couple of days.
Pro tip: While transplanting store-bought lettuce is more difficult, it's definitely possible. I suggest using a spray bottle to mist the lettuce at least a couple of times during peak heat each day. This will help it acclimate to being in soil more easily.
Will This Work with Other Kinds of Lettuce?
Yes! I've also tried this with green leaf lettuce and red leaf lettuce with success.
Now, Your Turn!
Growing your own lettuce can be super rewarding. To me, it tastes so much better and it's FREE!
You will just have to try it out for yourself to fully understand the joy!
I would love to hear about your experience regrowing store bought romaine lettuce.
Did it work for you?
What challenges did you have, if any?
Any suggestions?
Please share in the comments section below!
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