TikTok account Grow with Chea (@somphornlaneGrowwithChea) recently showed viewers an easy way to harvest lettuce repeatedly. All you need is a knife.
The scoop
In under 30 seconds, Chea demonstrates how the proper cut can yield endless lettuce from the same stock. Don’t use scissors; choose a knife instead. She starts by grasping the lettuce leaves together (like a ponytail) and chops from the bottom, leaving the root in the dirt.
@somphornlane Easy #harvest #coslettuce #healthyvegetables #homegrown #organicgarden ♬ original sound – GrowwithChea
Next, she covers the cut crown up and says, “In a couple of weeks, [they’ll] grow back again.”
How it’s helping
Leafy greens from cabbage to kale to lettuce are some of the best things you can eat, as they’re packed with nutrients like vitamins A, C, and K, calcium, fiber, and support immunity while being low in calories. They’re easy to cultivate and regrow endlessly.
Growing your own food comes with many pros for your mind, body, and wallet. Starting with just one pack of seeds and experimental harvesting can save money and trips to the store. NPR reports that last month was the highest jump in grocery prices in almost three years.
With today’s rising costs of goods, notably groceries, food security starting at home removes a common stress factor. According to a 2021 Health Equity study, over a third of low-income adults screened positive for depression, anxiety, and high stress related to food insecurity during the pandemic.
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At least, gardening can put your mind at ease by knowing how your salad, soup, or smoothie greens are grown. Don’t want pesticides? Eat well, knowing you didn’t use chemicals in your garden instead of merely hoping someone else didn’t.
Plus, studies discuss the overall mental and physical benefits people experience from gardening. According to Harvard Health Publishing, 30 minutes of general gardening can burn 135 to 189 calories as you mentally feed off the calming effects of nature.
Then, there’s the environmental factor in growing and cutting your own greens. Food transportation leaves a large carbon footprint before reaching supermarkets. With a garden-to-plate lifestyle, you can further reduce your contribution to planet-heating carbon production by avoiding the store’s plastic packaging waste, which can take hundreds of years to break down.
What everyone’s saying
Chea’s video earned lots of praise and inspired several gardeners. “You look naturally knowledgeable….. like old ways knowledge,” praises one commenter.
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“Nice looking lettuce,” notes another.
Someone else agrees with her use of harvesting tools: “I keep an old steak knife in my garden just for harvesting lettuce and okra,” they said.
One exclaims, “Of course! How has this never occurred to me!”
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