Organic leaf lettuce is hand harvested under contract 70 to 80 days after planting. Cool-season plantings may need 130 days to mature but as the season warms, time to maturity decreases. Harvest organic lettuce when the outer leaves are about 6 inches long. This ensures that the plant will survive after the leaves are removed. Harvest outer leaves to encourage inner leaves, tender leaves to grow. Lettuce is crispest if picked in the morning. Use a pruning knife to cut heads just below the lower leaves, or pull them out by the roots. Head and romaine types mature about 70 days from seed; leaf types mature in about 40 days.
Leaf lettuce will regrow if just the leaves are harvested. Water and harvest again a few weeks later. For best flavor, pick in the early morning, rinse and eat fresh.
