The short version: Cut-and-come-again greens are leafy crops you harvest a little at a time, so one planting keeps cropping for weeks instead of ending with a single pick. Either take the outer leaves and leave the central growing point, or shear the clump back to about 5cm and let it reshoot. Loose-leaf lettuce, rocket, silverbeet, kale, spinach, mizuna and mustard greens all respond well, as do several soft herbs. Feed lightly after a big cut, keep the water up, and expect the longest run in the cooler months, since heat pushes most greens to bolt.
There is a quiet trick experienced growers lean on for a steady supply of salad without sowing every fortnight. Instead of pulling a whole plant for one harvest, you graze it: take what you need for dinner and let the rest carry on. A short row, or a pot by the door, can keep handing you tender leaves with little fuss.
The catch is that the run depends on the crop, the season and how you treat the plant.
What cut-and-come-again actually means
Cut-and-come-again means harvesting leafy greens a little at a time so the plant keeps producing, rather than pulling it up after one pick. You are working with the plant's natural habit of pushing out fresh growth once the older leaves are removed.
It works because many leafy crops grow from a central point, adding new leaves from the middle while the outer ones mature. Take those outer leaves, or cut back above the growing point, and the plant sends up more. In the right season that is gentler than the usual sow, grow, harvest, clear cycle.
The two ways to harvest
There are two reliable methods, and the one you choose depends on the crop. Both keep the plant in production rather than ending its run in one go.
The first is to pick the outer leaves and leave the central growing point untouched. Take the oldest leaves from the outside, and leave four or five inner ones so the plant can keep feeding itself. This suits loose-leaf lettuce, silverbeet, kale and spinach, and gives the longest run, since the plant is never fully stripped.
The second is to shear the whole clump back to roughly 5cm above the soil and let it reshoot from the base. This suits low, clumping greens such as rocket, mizuna, mustard greens and lettuce mixes sown thickly. The bed can look bare for a week, which feels a touch drastic, then often flushes with tender new leaves.
The best crops for the job
The most reliable cut-and-come-again crops are the loose-leaf and clumping greens that regrow readily from the centre or base. They are forgiving, quick to recover, and happy to be picked over many times.
A few earn their place in almost any bed:
- Loose-leaf and oak-leaf lettuces, which never need to form a tight head, unlike hearting types.
- Rocket, often the fastest to bounce back after a shear.
- Silverbeet and kale, the long-haul performers that can crop for months from a happy spot.
- Spinach, mizuna, mustard greens and other Asian greens such as tatsoi, though the tender ones bolt sooner once the weather warms.
A mix sown together gives variety from one bed, and you can pick a salad's worth across several plants without stripping any one. Find plenty of options in our leafy vegetable seeds.
Many soft herbs take to the same treatment. Picking sprigs regularly from basil, parsley and chives keeps them bushy and can delay flowering, much as taking leaves keeps a lettuce going. Browse the range in our herb seeds.
Feed lightly and keep the water up
To keep a cut-and-come-again crop going, support its regrowth with a light feed after a big harvest and steady moisture in between. Each cut asks the plant to rebuild, which it can only do with water and nutrients on hand.
After a heavy pick, a watering with diluted seaweed solution or fish emulsion can help the plant push out fresh leaves. Leafy greens are nitrogen-hungry, so a fish and seaweed blend, or a little aged manure tea, suits them well. A steady supply beats one heavy dose.
Keep the water up after cutting, since moisture stress in warm weather is a common trigger for bolting. A layer of mulch helps hold soil moisture and keep roots cooler, one of the simplest ways to stretch the run on a hot week.
Why the cooler months give the longest run
Bolting is the main reason cut-and-come-again works best in the cooler months across most of Australia. Bolting is when a plant runs to flower and seed, which usually turns the leaves bitter and tough and ends the run. Heat is the most common trigger, so most leafy greens are happiest in the cool season, as the NSW silverbeet growing guide reflects.
In temperate gardens such as Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, autumn and winter give the longest runs. In cool and alpine areas such as the southern tablelands and Tasmanian highlands the cool season suits these greens, though a hard frost can check the tender types.
In subtropical zones such as Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast the mild winters are the prime window, while hot, humid summers are harder. Around Darwin in the tropical north, the cooler dry season is the main window. In Mediterranean areas, including Perth and southern Western Australia and Adelaide, the mild winters suit these greens, while summer needs shade and water.
For summer picking in warmer zones, lean on heat-tolerant greens such as some Asian mustards, perpetual silverbeet and amaranth, which hold longer before bolting.
Frequently asked questions
What does cut-and-come-again mean?
It means harvesting a leafy crop a little at a time so the plant keeps producing, rather than pulling the whole plant after one harvest. You either pick the outer leaves and leave the centre, or shear the clump back and let it reshoot.
Which vegetables are best for cut-and-come-again?
Loose-leaf lettuce, rocket, silverbeet, kale, spinach, mizuna, mustard greens and other Asian greens are the most reliable. Hearting lettuces grown for a single head are less suited. Many soft herbs also regrow well when picked often.
How do I cut the plants so they grow back?
Either remove the older outer leaves and leave the inner ones and the growing point intact, or shear the whole clump to about 5cm above the soil. Either way, leave the growing point or base to push out fresh leaves, and avoid cutting into the crown.
How long will the plants keep producing?
This varies with the crop, the season and how well you feed and water. In the cooler months silverbeet and kale can crop for months, while faster greens like rocket give several cuts before bolting.
Why do my greens go to seed so quickly?
Heat is the usual trigger for bolting, where a plant runs to flower and the leaves turn bitter. Growing in the cooler months, keeping the water up and harvesting regularly all help delay it. Once a plant bolts, its run is over.
Can I grow cut-and-come-again greens in summer?
In most zones summer is harder, since heat pushes tender greens to bolt fast. You can still get a crop by choosing heat-tolerant types such as amaranth, giving afternoon shade and keeping the water up. In the warmest zones, save leafy greens for the cool season.
A single sowing, picked with a light hand, can keep a kitchen in salad through much of the cooler months. Feed lightly, water well, pick little and often, and the plants keep giving back. To raise your own from the start, see our guide to starting seeds indoors.
Related growing guides
Ready to plant? Browse our Vegetable Seeds.