So, you finally realize you are missing out on fresh homegrown lettuce? Trust me, these are far superior to store-bought alternatives in terms of both taste and vitamin A content.
Learning how to grow lettuce is relatively easy if you follow proper guidelines and take good care of it. And for that, I brought a complete guide on how to grow lettuce in your garden. But it can’t help if you don’t like washing dirty leaves before consuming.
About Lettuce
Lettuce is a cool-season crop that thrives in most regions during the spring and fall. It’s an excellent choice for newbie gardeners because you can easily sow the seeds directly into the soil as soon as it’s workable. Since lettuce grows rapidly, it’s best to plant a small amount of seeds at a time, staggering the plantings for a continuous harvest.
Lettuce is a fantastic leafy green because it grows quickly, produces over an extended period, and requires minimal care if you keep it well-watered. It also flourishes in raised beds, making it ideal for small spaces. Plus, you can grow lettuce in containers, which can be placed on decks, patios, balconies, or porches.
Types of lettuce
You can plant many types of lettuce because each offers its unique qualities. I’m particularly fond of looseleaf lettuce because it grows quickly and allows for continuous harvesting from each plant for weeks. Here are some popular varieties:
Looseleaf: Looseleaf lettuce is one of the easiest to grow and mature rapidly, forming large, loose heads in five to six weeks.
Oakleaf: I like to grow oakleaf lettuce as a leaf lettuce, harvesting frequently as the plants grow. If left to mature, they eventually form full-sized heads. The leaves resemble oak leaves and come in green or red, depending on the variety.
Romaine: A key ingredient in Caesar salad is romaine lettuce, which forms tight, upright heads of crisp leaves.
Butterhead: Also known as Boston or Bibb, butterhead lettuce forms loose heads of tender, crisp leaves. There are heat-tolerant varieties for summer and cold-tolerant varieties for winter harvesting.
Iceberg: Though iceberg lettuce is known for being difficult to grow, I’ve successfully grown it in my raised beds.
Summer Crisp: Summer crisp, or Batavia lettuce, starts resembling looseleaf varieties but forms beautifully rounded heads as they mature. Many heat-tolerant varieties are well-suited for summer growing.
When to Plant Lettuce
Soil temperatures between 45°F and 65°F (7°C and 18°C) are ideal for growing lettuce, with cold-adapted varieties able to survive much lower temperatures. Start your earliest sowings under cover from late winter in greenhouse or hoop house beds for a super-early harvest. By early spring, it’s time to begin sowing seeds outdoors.
Direct sowing is recommended—plant seeds in the ground 2 to 4 weeks before your last spring frost date or as soon as the soil can be worked. For an early start, begin seeds indoors about a month before your last spring frost date. Harden off seedlings for 3 days to a week before transplanting them outdoors.
If you’re buying transplants from a garden centre or nursery, you can plant them between 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after your last spring frost. In many regions, you can plant another lettuce crop in the fall or early winter.
Tip: To plant a fall crop, cool the soil in late August by moistening the ground and covering it with a bale of straw. After a week, the soil under the bale will be about 10°F (6°C) cooler than the rest of the garden. Sow a three-foot row of lettuce seeds every two weeks, rotating the straw bale around the garden.
How To Grow Lettuce in Your Garden
Here’s how to grow lettuce in your home garden.
Soil Preparation
Lettuce grows best and fastest in full sun but also performs well in light shade. In the warmest regions, choose a growing spot that provides afternoon shade.
For ideal soil, keep it moist but well-drained. In traditional in-ground planting beds, create a rich rooting environment by mixing 3 inches of aged compost-enriched purpose In-Ground Soil into the top 6 inches of soil. Since lettuce has shallow roots, it also thrives in bowl-type pots which are less dense than in-ground soil but still contain compost.
Planting
The best time to grow lettuce is during the cool seasons of spring and fall, with ideal temperatures ranging from 45°F to 80°F. Protect newly transplanted lettuce seedlings during the first week or two if frost is expected. Once lettuce actively grows and produces new leaves, it can handle chilly nights.
For a quicker harvest, plant young lettuce plants. Whether you choose frilly Green Leaf Lettuce, striking Red Romaine, or the Gourmet Salad Mix favoured by chefs, you’ll soon pick and enjoy fresh, tasty leaves.
Alternatively, you can plant lettuce seeds directly into soil outdoors in planting beds or pots. Moisten the soil, sprinkle the seeds where you want them, cover lightly with soil, and gently tamp it down. Lettuce seeds germinate in 7 to 14 days. Once seedlings emerge, thin them to the recommended spacing on the seed packet—typically between 6 to 12 inches, depending on the type.
Growing
When learning how to grow lettuce, remember that lettuce has shallow roots, so it’s essential to water the plants consistently. Check the soil at least twice a week, and water if it’s dry down to 1 inch deep. Containers of lettuce require more frequent watering than garden beds, especially during the summer.
Surround lettuce plants with 2 to 3 inches of mulch, straw, shredded leaves, pine straw, or other locally available materials. This mulch helps block sunlight to prevent weeds, keeps the soil moist, and keeps the lettuce clean.
As summer heat sets in, lettuce plants will start to form flowers, causing the leaves to become bitter. At this point, you can either pull the plants or leave them to attract pollinators.
Harvesting
For heading lettuce: Wait until the heads are firm, then cut them off at the soil level.
For leaf lettuce: harvest individual leaves once they’re large enough to eat. Snip the outer leaves first, leaving the centre of the plant to keep growing.
