New gardeners often wonder why their spinach or kale plants stop producing after just one harvest. Thankfully, a TikToker shared a video explaining a simple tip to keep leafy greens growing strong.

The scoop

In a TikTok video, Red Meadows (@growingwildminds) shows viewers how to harvest leafy greens without killing the plant. 

@growingwildminds Tips for people new to gardening. Long and consistent productions hingesbon sustainable harvesting practices. Plants need leaves to continue to produce energy from photosynthesis that is necessary for growth. Leave some leaves to ensure your plants keep producing. #gardenbeginners #newtogardening #greenthumb #leafygreens #spinach #harvest #veggies #newbie #garden #garden ♬ original sound - Red Meadows

She says, "I wanted to make a quick video for all my beginner gardeners. Something that was really intuitive to me, but not all people if they're not familiar with farming or growing plants, is how to correctly harvest."

The video shows her standing in a community garden with rows of healthy spinach. She explains that many volunteers either yank the whole plant out or pick every single leaf. Both of these methods leave the plant unable to regrow.

Instead, she picks the older outer leaves from the bottom of the plant. 

"You want to leave that center alone because that is where the new growth is happening," she says. 

She recommends leaving about a third of the plant's leaves. The same trick works with other leafy greens like kale or Swiss chard.

She adds, "You're gonna harvest the older larger leaves first. and leave a little bit to grow on."

@growingwildminds Tips for people new to gardening. Long and consistent productions hingesbon sustainable harvesting practices. Plants need leaves to continue to produce energy from photosynthesis that is necessary for growth. Leave some leaves to ensure your plants keep producing. #gardenbeginners #newtogardening #greenthumb #leafygreens #spinach #harvest #veggies #newbie #garden #garden ♬ original sound - Red Meadows

How it's helping

This harvesting hack helps people get more out of every seed they plant. Instead of getting just one salad's worth of leaves, your garden can feed your family for weeks. That saves trips to the store and lowers grocery bills.

Growing your own food at home also reduces pollution from trucking vegetables across the country. And gardens benefit mental health. A research study found that gardening can improve gut health because fresh produce adds fiber to your diet. Another study showed that gardening lowers stress and improves overall mental health. 

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Leaving some leaves behind also helps the planet. Healthy plants keep absorbing carbon dioxide, which helps reduce harmful air pollution. Planting native and drought-tolerant plants can save water and create healthier ecosystems for local wildlife.

What everyone's saying

People in the comments were thankful for the clear harvesting tip.

"I just harvested some spinach today in this same way!" said one user.

Another added, "Have definitely been harvesting my leafy greens wrong and this makes so much sense why they die."

A third cheered, "This makes total sense! Thank you for sharing!"

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