I actually have a few questions regarding leaf lettuce.

1. How do you know when leaf lettuce is ready to harvest?
2. Is this a one time harvest plant?
3. My lettuce is a pale green color is this alright?
4. What is the best way to harvest leaf lettuce?

FYI: My leaf lettuce is about a foot tall and a foot and a half in diameter. I would like to use some tonight on my tacos if they are ready.

You can pick lettuce anytime it has leaves that are large enough to eat. Also, you can just pick leaves and leave the plant in the ground to grow some more. With the weather as hot as it is, it will start bolting soon, so for a longer lettuce season, try planting seeds in late Winter, and grow a Fall crop too. Lettuce is a pretty cold-hardy plant. I sowed seeds in January this year and many of them germinated. What I am going to try this year, is sowing in the Fall and growing them in a raised bed with a cover built on a framework over the bed and try to have lettuce that I can pick over Winter. I don't know if it will work, but it won't hurt to try, lol.

If I want to harvest the whole head is there a specific way of doing so? Should I leave the bottom set of leaves or just cut it to the ground? Also, what do you mean by "Bolting"?

To harvest the whole head, just cut at ground level. Bolting is what happens when lettuce (and other plants) are ready to flower. You will notice the center of the plant send up a stalk that gets taller than the rest of the plant, then soon, it will start flowering.

Is the lettuce still good to eat after bolting?

It may still be edible, but will probably start tasting bitter. At least that's what happens with spinach.

I planted lettuce seed in a cold frame on my raised bed in January. Have had great lettuce! Within the last week it has started to bolt. Is this because it is getting warmer (somedays as high as 83) or is it because it has just run it's course? 3 1/2 months?

Planted 'mesculen' greens here in a small area of my flower beds & larger area in my 1st real garden at our land, 60 mi NE.

Harvested 1/4 of a salad a few weeks ago & last week sheared off a huge bowl of greens. Ate as soon as we got home & gosh-sooo good. I'm assuming it will all continue to grow more & clipping the leaves is the way to harvest.

Patty

PS-the seeds never came up here in Plano.

I, too, grow lettuce in a raised bed, using a cold frame that sits on top. I start seeding Nov-Feb. A cooler than usual winter delayed germination, so I didn't get much growing large until late winter/early spring. Even though I staggered the sowings, once the end of the winter came, everything suddenly started growing very fast, all at once. We just harvested the last of the lettuce, and it was all starting to bolt. So if you still have good lettuce, you're doing better than me. In fact, this is the latest in the spring that I've ever harvested--usually all bolted by now. It was delicious while it lasted!

MaryLou, the answer to your question is BOTH. Next year plant several times (earlier & later than you planted); you should get more greens that way. Make sure your cold frame doesn't get too hot; the greens can take cool temps!