'I found a way to make Lidl lettuces last all year – it's genius'

A garden-savvy Brit has shared a top tip on how to enjoy "free salad" for months - with a helping hand from Lidl.

Taking to Reddit he explained in a "confession" that he purchases lettuces from the supermarket chain "once a year" before planting them in his garden. "Two months later, I enjoy free salad for the rest of the summer," he proudly declared in the CasualUK subreddit.

"I don't know why it feels wrong, but these do better than my seedlings ever do. I know they’re supposed to be eaten right away." Detailing the process alongside a snap of the fruits of his labour, he added: "Planted up two of those lettuces from Lidl with the roots intact back in May. Same for the parsley. Put in dirt and left alone for a couple of months and they just explode into salad."

Asked by a confused Redditor how to go about finding a lettuce with its roots intact, he explained: "Lidl get small ones in earlier in the year. They're about 1/2 the size of a cellophane wrapped one, but they have the roots attached. They tend to be packaged a bit like the herbs. They're hydroponically grown so there’s no dirt or pot."

Responding to another query about how he avoids his crops falling foul of unwanted slugs, he revealed the solution: "Raised beds, and it's mainly gravel around the immediate area. The lawn is an island surrounded by gravel too. I tried to make it hostile for them to get over to it."

Whilst a third person queried: "How do you stop them bolting? I grew lettuce from seed a few years ago (super easy and probably even cheaper than buying from Lidl), and they were delicious until they bolted and grew about seven feet tall."

The original poster helpfully responded again: "They like it wet. The raised bed keeps a lot of moisture in, as they’re set above quite clay-ish soil. I found last year it only took them wilting once to bolt. This year the weather has been cooperative."

Another Reddit user detailed a similair trick involving ginger, meanwhile. "It works with ginger too," they said. "You need to soak it overnight in a bowl of water as they spray it with a growth inhibitor. But if you soak and plant a couple of tubes in a window box or tub, in about six months you’ll have tons of roots to pick slice and add spice to your meals."

"I do the same with basil plants," someone else added. "They come stuffed into a tiny container but if you separate them out and take cuttings you end up with a crazy amount of basil."

Elsewhere in the comments section, others praised the self-sufficient techniques. "I had no idea this was possible!" one Redditor gushed. "Thanks for the tip!"

A second admitted: "I work at a Lidl and see these crops of lettuce with roots all the time! I was wondering if people would be able to plant them so I guess this answers my question!" And a third said: "This is kinda genius to be honest, well done."