There’s plenty of crops that will grow again after harvesting.
We’ve put together our top cut and grow again crops so you can get more homegrown goodness from the plants you already have instead of planting new ones.
Leafy greens
With leafy greens you can harvest the outer leaves as and when you require them, and they will regrow. If you start picking leaves early enough and leave enough of the plant in the ground, you should be able to harvest for a number of weeks.
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Silverbeet
- Mesclun
- Mizuna
- Mustard
- Rocket
- Kale
- Bok choi
Herbs
Herb leaves can be pinched off and used in cooking as you need them, and will continue to produce fresh growth as they are harvested.
- Parsley
- Coriander
- Oregano
- Sage
- Thyme
Other vege crops
- Sprouting broccoli - unlike normal broccoli, sprouting broccoli can be harvested a shoot at a time and will continue to grow if regularly picked.
- Spring onions - spring onions are ready to harvest as soon as the stems are as thick as your little finger. Snip spring onions at the base when you are ready to harvest, and if you leave the roots in the ground they will regrow.
- Beetroot leaves – beetroot have two uses, the small leaves make a good substitute for leafy greens and can be used in salads, steamed or sautéed.
- Rhubarb - plants will last for years with the right care. Add compost to the soil each year and keep plants well watered through dry periods. When the top growth dies back in autumn, remove the dead leaves to expose the base of the plant to the cool weather. This helps stimulate new shoots for the following season.
Tips to keep your crops healthy and growing
- Feeding - plants need to be fed to stay happy! They use nutrients from the soil as they grow so replenishing nutrients during the growing season keeps plants healthy and maximises production.
- Watering - keep your garden well watered. Regular deep soakings are better than shallow watering. Water early in the day or later in the evening, taking care to water the soil not the foliage where possible, to limit encouraging disease.
- Mulching - mulch your garden to suppresses weed growth and helps keep soil moist. If you dont have mulch you can use fallen autumn leaves and lawn clippings.
- Observing - look out for pests and diseases and lay Tui Quash as autumn is a busy time for slugs and snails.
We’d love to hear other cut and grow again crops you have! Share in the comments below.
When should I plant
in
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- Harvest in 30-40 days
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Cut & grow again crops Comments
Good info, and now your "Planting date" selector resides in my Google Bookmark folder.
Graeme Pullar
Great newsletter very informative on how and when to plant. Thankyou.
Ruth Hamlin
Can I regrow beans from pulling the roots from the previous crop and growing them in water hoping they will re-sprout?
Raema Inglis
Hi Raema, leave them in the ground if they are runner beans as they form a crown and can be left in the garden after they die down for a couple of seasons. After 2-3 years they are best replanted as they run out of vigour. The best thing to do with beans is collect some seed from the seasons crop and replant in spring.
Tui Team
I grow rhubarb which can be chopped and grows again. I also have runner beans which produce beans, die back and then grow again next spring. I leave my netting up for them to grow up and if enough of them don’t come up I will add some seed I have saved from the previous year.
Anne Jenkins
Never knew that spring onions would grow again!
Eric Lamb
Bok Choy is on my kitchen table skewered so the base sits in a bowl of water. Leaves are regrowing.
Margaret Wall
Good idea Margaret, thanks for sharing!
Tui Team
Excellent information. Thanks for that.
Graeme Clinton
Only just realised I could re-grow some veges. . I pulled out my spinach plants the weekend before lockdown and then couldn't find any seedlings or seed anywhere. I retrieved them from the green waste and re-planed them and they're coming away nicely now.
Catherine Jowsey
What plants can I feed with leftover orchid potting mix? When do geraniums flower in Wellington?
Rex
Hi Rex, geraniums will benefit from a feed or any flowering indoor or garden plants. Orchid food is high in potassium (potash) to help stimulate flowering.
Tui Team
Very informative as I didn't know that you could cut and grow crops again. Where do you get the sprouting broccoli as I am in Canterbury and never heard of it. Thanks.
Tabitha Lang
Hi Tabitha, thank you for the feedback. Sprouting broccoli is available in packet seed from garden centres and DIY stores, as well as mail order seed catalogues such as Kings Seeds. You will find the plants as seedlings in garden centres as well.
Lianne, Tui Team
Great to receive all your knowledge and tips. Thank you.
Daphne
As for Rhubarb, as the stalks grow I add a box section around the plant, this forces them upwards and to develop stalks with a cross section at the base in excess of 20mm, usable stalk length averaging 400mm and very tasty.
Bob
I cut my cabbages and leave the root and stem in the ground, which then produces mini cabbages. Some varieties will grow a heart and grow to the size of a tennis ball or an orange and some will just produce loose leaves.
Karen
My go to place when I want to know about anything to do with gardening, most helpful.
Ngaire
Love the keep on growing plants, I didn't know about sprouting broccoli or the rhubarb leaves that's why I also love the newsletter!
robin bobbie mcbrier
Was told by a grower at the farmers market that you can cut the bulb from your fennel and it will grow again. Don't have much luck with the first bulb unfortunately.
Laurel
I plant the bottom off onions, they regrow from the roots. I also leave some big leaves on spinach and silver beet allowing for new growth underneath.
Mellissa Frew