What Have I Grown?

Question

This year my 4 year old daughter really wanted to plant seeds and grow some flowers and vegetables. I’ve never been particularly successful at it, growing conditions aren’t great in our garden with clay soil but I made a couple of raised beds and bought some pots and we sowed a random variety of seeds. Our flowers came out ok albeit short life but our veg was very unsuccessful other than these it seems. The trouble is, we didn’t label anything, so we don’t know what it is. I thought we sowed beans in our long rectangular pots but these look nothing like beans to me. Most in one are of our garden are now struggling and few have died, but this bunch are doing ok I think. I did pull one up a couple if months ago to see if there was anything below but there were just a few roots. Currently they are around 60cm to 80cm tall. They have until a few weeks ago just been sprouting upfacing leaves but have now started blooming quite a few small yellow flowers. I hope someone knows as I haven’t a clue when and what to harvest…if anything. Thanks in advance.

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Answer 1

That is lettuce! It is, also, past its prime. By now it has bolted, and gone to seed. The leaves will be very bitter.

Lettuce needs to be harvested when young, and before bolting, while it is still clumped on the ground.

Here are some articles that will help:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/lettuce/growing-lettuce.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/lettuce/harvesting-leaf-lettuce.htm

Answer 2

Thank you for your answer. I think we was confused because these never actually clumped at all...at the most 4 or 5 leaves...then they quite quickly just started spotting up. Can I get seeds from these now..could possibly at least get that out if them for next year perhaps.