Lettuce
Lactuca sativa
A Basic Growing Guide
Description
Boring ol’ lettuce, amiright? NO! When you grow your own leafy greens for salads and sandwiches, there’s nothing ho-hum about all the colors and shapes and super-fresh crunch you have access to. Lettuce grows quickly and is one of the easiest vegetables to cultivate in cool weather, getting your garden season off to a strong start. There is nothing quite as satisfying as knowing your stock of lettuce is growing fresh in the garden rather than turning slimy in a plastic box in the fridge.
Categories and Varieties
Iceberg or Crisphead -- Crisp and round-headed, Iceberg has a mild taste and crunchy texture. Ice Queen and Crispino are common garden varieties.
Romaine -- Tall with sturdy leaves, Romaine is flavorful and often used in Caesar salads. Paris Island Cos, Sparx, and Coastal Star are in this category. Mini-romaines include Little Gem and Truchas.
Butterhead (Boston or Bibb) -- Features soft, tender leaves that form a loose head; sweet in flavor. Buttercruch and Marvel of Four Seasons are butterhead types.
Leaf Lettuce -- Includes red and green varieties with loose, ruffled leaves that are easy to harvest. Black Seeded Simpson, Brentwood, and New Red Fire are popular leaf lettuce varieties.
Summer Crisp or Batavia — this type of lettuce forms a loose head with crisp leaves. Muir is the most heat-tolerant variety in this category.
Mesclun — This is a mixture of different lettuce shapes and colors that are planted close and harvested when young and tender.
Lettuce Through The Season
Planting Instructions
Sun Requirements
Lettuce likes part to full sun. 4-6 hours of direct sun is best, so provide a bit of shade by planting on the north or east side of tall plants if you have a very sunny garden.
When
Plant lettuce seeds in early spring or fall when temperatures are between 45-65°F.
Seed or Transplant?
Either way! You can start with seeds or transplant young seedlings. Try doing both at the same time to get a staggered harvest.
Depth
Plant seeds 1/8 inch deep. Barely cover with soil.
Spacing
Seed thickly for mesclun or baby greens. For larger heads, space 6-8 inches apart.
Growth Habit
Lettuce grows low to the ground, with one central growth point. It can handle part sun conditions, and may prefer a bit of shade when weather gets hot.
Tending
Watering
Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged.
Common Pests and Treatments
Aphids: sprays bugs off with water
Slugs: Handpick or use diatomaceous earth or iron phosphate on the ground around plants.
Common Diseases and How to Treat
Few disease issues affect lettuce.
Learn more about preventing and treating common plant diseases in Tennessee
Feeding/Fertilizing
Apply a gentle nitrogen-rich fertilizer such as fish or seaweed emulsion every 2-3 weeks. Be sure to dilute the mix according to the directions and water the soil, not the plant itself.
Pruning
Not typically required, but you can remove any yellow or damaged leaves.
Harvesting
When
Harvest lettuce leaves when they're large enough to eat, usually within 30-70 days after planting. They are tasty at various stages.
How (more details in videos below)
For thickly planted, baby greens, give the plants a “haircut” and allow them to continue to grow.
For plants spaced farther apart, you can cut the outer leaves first, allowing the center leaves to continue growing.
OR remove the entire head, cutting the stem right next to the soil level.
Then What?
After harvesting, you can leave the plant to grow more leaves or pull it out if it starts to bolt (flower).
