Growing Lettuce

Planting and Growing Lettuce

Lettuce needs cooler temperatures and soil to grow well. Early spring and fall are good times for growing lettuce, when temperatures range between 40 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. A light, late frost may not destroy the plants, but a hard freeze can severely damage a crop of lettuce.

Since lettuce cannot be preserved, staggered plantings every two weeks will produce a continuous harvest. Six weeks before the last frost date in your area, sow lettuce seeds in cold frames outdoors or start seeds indoors under lights. Seeds sprout in two to eight days.

Again in fall, about eight weeks before first frost date, plant another staggered crop. As it gets closer to fall, plant only butterheads and romaines, which are cold-tolerant varieties.

Work the soil in your bed to a depth of ten inches. Add compost and work well into the soil. Sow the seeds ¼ inch deep, one inch apart in rows. Thin the plants according to variety and seed pack directions, pulling young plants for salads to attain proper spacing.

Keep lettuce well watered throughout the growing season. To keep the soil from drying out, water every other day when there is no rainfall.

Harvesting Lettuce

Do not let lettuce sit too long in the garden. Once ready, harvest it in the morning, before the plants wilt during the heat of the day.

Overnight the plants will absorb water and be plump and crisp. Use scissors to cut lettuce or snap individual leaves off plants. Rinse the lettuce and shake off excess water. Keep refrigerated in plastic bags.

Pests and Diseases

Slugs chew holes in the leaves of lettuce plants. Use beer traps or pick them off. Aphids hide in the folds of lettuce leaves and should be rinsed off with a garden hose sprayer. Common diseases can be avoided by rotating the location of lettuce plants annually.

Types of Lettuces

There are hundreds of varieties of lettuce available. Some looseleaf varieties are heat tolerant, while butterheads and bibs are more cold tolerant.

Looseleaf lettuce will resprout from a cut stem. Butterheads have a softer texture and less prominent veins. Romaines, or Cos, are generally more tolerant of stressful weather conditions than other varieties.

Crisphead lettuce varieties are among the most popular varieties for home gardens. Mesclun is a mixture of greens that are grown for harvesting as young leaves. Most will grow back again after being cut, providing a continuous harvest. As with most lettuces, succession planting increases the length of harvest.

Lettuce is the basis for many recipes, including salads and wraps. Successfully growing lettuce requires little preparation and maintenance. With an extensive range of sizes, shapes and flavors, adding a few varieties of these tasty greens is a great addition to the vegetable garden.