Crisp, cushy lettuce is perhaps necessarily probably the most attention-grabbing of all salad plants. For the most efficient style and texture, it is best grown with close attention to moisture, soil, and climatic prerequisites. Lettuce was to start with a Eurasian annual; it is been advanced into many varieties and cultivars with dozens of forms.
For the home gardener lettuce is most often divided into 3 categories: (1) tight, crisp, near to white head lettuce with a cabbage-like head; (2) loose, so-called leaf lettuce, where although there is a head, it is looser, and with many additional outer green leaves; (3) Cos or Romaine lettuce, which is cylindric, has long, relatively loose leaves and so forms a head which from time to time should be tied up.
Of the three categories, the main is basically probably the most tricky to increase; the second is inconspicuous to increase and a good choice for green individuals, and the third is also easy to increase and can get up to summer time heat.
Lettuce is a cool season crop (apart from Cos) and is incessantly planted in early spring and past due summer time. (Throughout the South and California, lettuce is eternally grown in wintry weather.) Most lettuce types should mature faster than the weather gets warmth. Midsummer heat, more than other problems will reason why lettuce to flower. That ruins the danger of heading given that tall flower stalk is burdened up by way of what should be the top. There are bolt-resistant, heat-tolerant types for expanding in warmth local weather.
This is all the data to expanding lettuce!
Rapid Lettuce Emerging Tips
- Sow lettuce seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks faster than the everyday ultimate frost date in spring; transplant seedlings to the garden when they are about 4 inches (10cm) tall.
- Direct sow lettuce inside the garden in early spring 4 weeks faster than the everyday ultimate frost date when the soil temperature is at least 35°F (1.7°C).
- Sow lettuce again when the weather cools in past due summer time or fall.
- Where the weather stays mild or warmth most of the year, increase bolt-resistant, heat-tolerant types. Most lettuce seed packets will give the heat tolerance of the variety or cultivar.
- In spaces where the weather gets cold in wintry weather, time for lettuce planting to hold the crop to harvest faster than the main fall frost or increase lettuce all over the wintry weather underneath a plastic tunnel or cold frame.
- Lettuce may well be ready for harvest 65 to 80 days after sowing depending on the variety.
- In sizzling summer time spaces, time lettuce planting so that the harvest is to be had in past due spring or in autumn.
Types of Lettuce
Lettuce is a fast-growing, hardy annual with each loose or compact expanding leaves that change in color from light green to reddish-brown.
- Leaf or Looseleaf lettuce forms loose, spherical patterns, and compact heads; leaves are yellow, green, purple, or purplish; leaves can be frilly or blank. Looseleaf lettuce comes to harvest in 40 to 50 days.
- Butterhead lettuce additionally known as Bibb letuce or Boston lettuce, forms loose round heads with subtle green to cream-colored leaves at the center. Butterhead lettuce has a comfortable buttery texture and gentle style. Butterhead lettuce comes to maturity in 65 to 80 days; it can be very refined to high and low temperatures.
- Romaine or Cos lettuce form leafy green upright cylindrical or oval heads. Romaine lettuce comes to maturity in 80 to 85 days. Romaine lettuce is inconspicuous to increase.
- Crisphead or Iceberg lettuce form corporate, compact heads of sunshine green, overlapping leaves. Crisphead lettuce comes to harvest in 80 to 90 days. Crisphead lettuce requires more space than other sorts of lettuce and can be finicky in terms of water.
- Celtuce or Stem lettuce forms loose leafy tops on stalks that resemble celery. Leaves are eaten as greens and stalks are eaten like celery. Celtuce comes to harvest in 65 to 90 days.
Where to Broaden Lettuce
- Broaden lettuce in whole sun or partial colour. Use colour cloth to offer protection to lettuce from highly regarded or sizzling local weather.
- Lettuce prefers well-worked, well-drained soil that is rich in herbal matter and moisture retentive. Sandy loam is the best choice of soil to increase lettuce. (Some types, like Grand Rapids, do very best in heavy soil with truly in depth clay in them.)
- Add 4 inches (10cm) or additional of aged compost or commercial herbal planting mix to planting beds in advance of planting. Turn the soil to 6 inches (15cm) deep.
- Lettuce prefers a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.8. Lettuce soil should now not be acid. If a soil test to find that the soil is acid, it should be limed.
- Further essential than texture is soil moisture.
Lettuce Planting Circumstances For the duration of the Year
- Lettuce is a cool-season crop that should come to harvest faster than the weather gets warmth.
- Sowing lettuce seed should be timed so that they are transplanted to the garden merely as soon as the ground can be worked. You wish to have now not look ahead to the overall frost of spring so as to set out the seedlings, on account of, specifically in their early levels with will merely go through various ranges of light frost.
- Sow lettuce seed indoors 4 to 6 weeks faster than you intend to set transplants inside the garden—incessantly 4 to 6 weeks faster than the overall frost in spring. You’ll be able to even get started faster for many who like, up to 10 weeks faster than the overall frost.
- Transplant seedlings to the garden when they are about 4 inches tall alternatively now not faster than night time time temperatures keep above 30°F (-1.1°C).
- Direct sow lettuce inside the garden when the soil temperature is at least 35°F (1.7°C) Lettuce seed isn’t going to germinate in soil cooler than 35°F (1.7°C).
- Sow lettuce every 3 weeks for a continuing harvest. As temperatures warmth sow bolt-resistant, heat-tolerant types.
- 8 weeks faster than the main expected frost in autumn, switch back to cool-weather lettuce types.
- In mild-winter spaces, increase lettuce from autumn by way of wintry weather into spring. Sow succession plants every 3 weeks all over the wintry weather.
- Lettuce may well be ready for harvest 65 to 80 days after sowing depending on the variety.
Starting Lettuce Crops Indoors
- Sow lettuce seeds ¼ inch (6mm) deep; duvet with finely listed soil. Sow bolt-resistant lettuce ½ inch (12mm) deep.
- Seeds can be broadcast in flats or sown in tiny drills in flats.
- To stop soil crusting, sprinkle finely sifted compost or herbal potting soil over the seeds.
- Place seeded flats underneath a increase light or in a colourful window. Turn flats of more youthful plants every couple of days for even enlargement.
- In a few days, the plant may well be up and as soon as they are 2 inches high with true leaves; they are going to should be pricked-out and spaced about 2 inches in every approach. A 2d and third spacing is recommended.
- Plant 6 to 10 heads consistent with explicit particular person inside the circle of relatives.
Planting Lettuce Outside
- More youthful lettuce seedlings are very best set out inside the garden on an overcast day; in the end, thy should be watered until they recuperate from the switch.
- Direct sow lettuce inside the garden after indoor started plants had been set out.
- Lettuce seeds sown outdoors can be broadcast or in very shallow drills; in each case covered very frivolously with the most efficient soil.
- Reasonably tamp the soil and water it with a top quality mist like spray (a hose spray without a top quality nozzle will wash out the seeds).
- The seeds will rise up too thick for permanent spacing; they can be thinned as well-known above.
- Outdoor sown seed will provide a very good plants aft there indoor started plants had been harvested.
- Succession planting can observe beginning about 12 days after the main outdoor sowing.
Thinning and Spacing Lettuce inside the Garden
- Thin leaf lettuce seedlings from 6 to 8 inches (15-20cm) apart and head lettuce to 12 inches (30cm) apart.
- Space rows 18 inches (45cm) apart.
- Sq. feet planting: 6 loose leaf plants consistent with sq. foot, 1 heading lettuce plant consistent with sq. foot.
- Lettuce should be thinned; lettuce that is too crowded will bolt.
- Transplant rooted thinnings to each different row or spot; transplanted lettuce may well be set back a couple of weeks alternatively it will come to harvest.
Fall Crop Lettuce
- For a fall lettuce crop, observe the equivalent procedure for the early crop of indoor seedlings, apart from that the flats are put outdoors in a cool, shaded place.
- More youthful plants should have the ability to set out about August 15 in northern spaces.
Further tips: Lettuce Seed Starting Tips.
Container Emerging Lettuce
- Lettuce grows correctly in boxes or increase baggage. Lettuce makes a wonderful addition to a tower garden.
- Broaden a single head of lettuce in a 6-inch (15cm) container; set lettuce in better boxes on 10-inch amenities.
- Lettuce is heat refined so switch boxes to cooler spots if the temperature rises.
Higher part Crops for Lettuce
- Broaden lettuce with carrots, cucumbers, radishes, strawberries, and herbs at the side of cilantro.
Watering Lettuce
- Quite a few soil moisture will be in agreement induce immediate enlargement; slow-growing lettuce isn’t going to taste very good.
- Lettuce has a shallow root system; do not let plants dry out. Keep the garden bed frivolously rainy alternatively now not soggy.
- Commonplace, even watering is had to form heads.
- If the rain comes to the garden eternally mulch with straw around the base of plants to stick muddy soil off the leaves.
- A sign that lettuce is not getting enough water is expanding of leaf tips, referred to as tip burn.
Feeding Lettuce
- Lettuce grows very best in soil rich in plant foods.
- Add aged manure to the lettuce planting bed in advance of planting. Aged manure supplies so much huus to the soil and thus heightens its moisture-holding capacity along with enriching it. Turn the manure into the soil so that there is a top quality tilth.
- Additionally, feed lettuce with compost tea or manure tea every two weeks throughout the season.
- You’ll be able to moreover feed lettuce with aged compost or a commercial herbal planting mix added as a mulch or aspect dressing spherical plants.
Further on tips about learn how to increase lettuce: Lettuce Emerging Tips.
Lettuce Care
- Long sizzling sunny days and high temperature (80 to 90 ranges F) will reason why lettuce to bolt–send up a flower stalk–and move to seed. After bolting, leaves may well be bitter-flavored.
- Use colour cloth to partially offer protection to lettuce from warmth local weather and over the top light intensity. (Place bitter-tasting lettuce inside the refrigerator for two and it will taste a lot much less bitter.)
- Protect lettuce from cold nights or frost with cloches or row covers.
About lettuce and heat: Lettuce Bolting.
Lettuce Pests
- Lettuce can be attacked thru aphids, cutworms, leafminers, cabbage loopers, slugs, and snails.
- Spray aphids approach with water; put a collar spherical every plant to discourage cutworms; lure slugs and snails with a saucer of stale beer set flush to the soil.
- Spray cabbage loopers with Bacillus thuringiensis or neem oil.
- Leafminers are the larvae of a fly; exclude the fly from laying eggs thru protecting plants with floating row covers. Make a choice off and ruin leaves with leafminer tunnels.
Lettuce Illnesses
- Lettuce has no critical sickness problems.
- Root and collar rot can occur where the soil stays wet.
Further tips: Lettuce Emerging Problems: Troubleshooting.
Harvesting and Storing Lettuce
- For the most efficient style and crisp texture pick lettuce when you want it and use recent lettuce immediately.
- For loose-leaf types, decrease outer leaves on a cut-and-come-again basis and allow interior leaves to stick and develop. You’ll be able to harvest all of the plant immediately thru chopping it off at flooring level.
- Harvest crisphead, cos, and butterhead lettuce when the heads are corporate and mature. You’ll be able to raise all the plant or decrease heads at the crown merely above soil line. Where heads are decrease at the crown, smaller leaves will increase for a 2d harvest.
- Harvest lettuce inside the cool part of the day so that it does now not wilt immediately. Chilling will crisp up wilted leaves.
Storing and Keeping up Lettuce
- Crisphead lettuce will keep inside the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
- Unfastened-leaf, butterhead, and romaine lettuce will keep inside the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
Lettuce inside the Kitchen
- Lettuce is most often eaten raw in product sales or sandwiches, alternatively can also be in short cooked.
Further tips: One of the simplest ways to Harvest and Store Lettuce.
Lettuce Incessantly Asked Questions
Q: How can I have recent, cushy lettuce all season long?
A: Sow a temporary row of lettuce seeds every 7 to 10 days. This may occasionally infrequently ensure that new plants may well be available ceaselessly.
Q: Must lettuce be started indoors?
A: Lettuce is a crop that is merely started from seed indoors. Get began seeds in flats or pots for transplanting into the garden. Get started transplanting as soon as the ground is workable in spring and the overall hard freeze has passed.
Q: Can I increase lettuce where summers are sizzling?
A: In sizzling summer time spaces, increase lettuce in spring and fall. To increase lettuce in summer time in sizzling spaces, plant in a partly shaded house or use a 50 % colour cloth show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In sizzling areas, plant bolt-resistant types that are bread to go through sizzling spells, now not stable sizzling local weather.
Q: Does lettuce need numerous water?
A: Perhaps the most important issue lettuce plants need is a constant supply of water. Without water, lettuce can be bitter tasting. Moisten the soil every time it is the slightest bit dry.
Q: What is one of the best ways to harvest lettuce? What does “cut-and-come-again” indicate?
A: Lettuce can be harvested thru chopping heads back to just above the roots. In the event you occur to go away the stump and roots in place, the plants will produce a smaller crop of leaves. Cut back-and-come-again approach to cut or harvest a few leaves at a time; the program is used with loose-leaf lettuces. As quickly because the plant is ready 6 inches tall, you can bring to a standstill the outermost leaves for modern use leaving the remainder leaves to increase on for harvest at a later time.
Lettuce Varieties to Broaden
There are dozens of kinds of every type of lettuce. Ask your cooperative extension for explicit ideas and very best possible choices for your space. Listed below are types eternally grown in the home garden:
- Unfastened-Leaf: ‘Black-Seeded Simpson’ (45 days); ‘Grand Rapids’ (45 days); ‘Oakleaf’ (50 days); ‘Salad Bowl’ (45 days); ‘Ruby’ (45 days); ‘Red Sails’ (45 days), ‘Tango’, ‘Slobolt’.
- Butterhead: ‘Big Boston’ (75 days); ‘Buttercrunch’ (75 days); ‘Summer Bibb’ (62 days); ‘Ermosa’; ‘Esmeralda’; ‘Nancy’.
- Romaine or Cos: ‘Parris Island Cos’ (73 days); ‘Valmain’ (85 days); ‘Green Towers’; ‘Valley Heart’; ‘Red Eyes Cos’, ‘Red Romaine’.
- Crisphead or iceberg: ‘Great Lakes’ (95 days); ‘Ithaca’ (75 days); ‘Iceberg’; ‘Crispivo’.
- Celtuce or stem lettuce (80 days). Botanical name Lactuca sativa var. augustana is grown for its succulent thick stem and cushy leaves.
Lettuce types outlined: 5 Types of Lettuce.
About Lettuce
- Common name: Lettuce, crisphead lettuce, Butterhead lettuce, stem lettuce (celtuce), leaf lettuce, cos, romaine
- Botanical name: Lactuca sativa
- Family: Asteraceae (Compositae)
- Basis: Just about East
Further tips: One of the simplest ways to Broaden a Salad Garden
