Yes, Christie - it works. Have heard you can cut the head to about 1 inch from where you were previously cutting leaves, put it in a shallow dish of water and it will grow roots. And I have seen photos of celery continuing in a pot with soil. I think I would also shave a bit off the root side, but try it both ways.

What I did was cut an old Romaine lettuce that was going to seed down in the garden to about an 1-1/2" and it regrew to a renewed plant.

This spring I also planted carrot tops, which had nice greens in potting soil and they were just cut to about 3/4 inch of top (just a cap) and they made nice roots in moist potting soil. I just sort of laid the tops on the soil and pressed in a bit. Did this for my Gchildren, just to illustrate it could be done -- my Gdaughter is getting very interested in gardening now, and she has my inquisitive nature. They were excited.

I love those artesian lettuces -- why not try this? You have nothing to lose and it will be fun, I think. Let us know your results -- maybe take photos?
Sunny

I planted leaf lettuce from seed back when it rained in August. I am eating that. The other day I planted some more seed but I haven't kept it watered and it isn't up. The August lettuce came up quickly. I may just leave a hose there with a sprinkler and turn it on a few times a day. You can protect lettuce from frost with a cover of some sort. We have lots more growing time for something like lettuce.

Christie, if you could get your artisan lettuce to grow roots, then you could let it go to seed and have all the lettuce you could stand!

I started collecting lettuce seed last year by accident when a stray Romaine seed germinated in a flower bed, grew there undetected and made seed. I planted that seed this spring, and all the other lettuce seeds I had, as the seed was getting old and I wasn't sure it was even viable anymore. I had so much lettuce I was giving it away to neighbors.

I had never thought about rooting the bases of lettuce. We used to "grow" carrot tops when I was a kid, but I never tried planting the tops into the garden. Do they grow new carrots under the ground, or just seed?

You might be able to grow them that way but they are easy from seed. My lettuce is bitter now. I planted more that is a couple inches tall. I will put plastic tubs over it soon to keep it warmer. If I use my broken plastic tubs that let air in they can take a sunny day without cooking the plants. I have rotten clear plastic tubs left over from my friends house. His stuff was in the yard when his house was being repaired after the tornado. Plastic in the sun gets brittle. Most of the tubs have broken to pieces but I still have some. You can use good tubs but put a stick to prop them so some cool air can get in.