Growing Lettuce – Quick Tips on How to Grow Lettuce

Lettuce is a favorite in the garden because it is relatively easy to grow, is one of the first crops that can be planted, and is one of the first crops to yield in the spring. It doesn’t take a lot of room, and because of its shallow root system does well in containers too. Let’s take a look at some tips for growing lettuce.

You can plant lettuce 2-4 weeks before the last frost date, and in the fall should be planted about 6 to 8 weeks before the first frost date. Lettuce is somewhat tolerant of frosts, although it will not take extended freezing temperatures. On the other hand, it will tend to bolt in higher temperatures. Because of this it is very productive in fall gardens. Also, it doesn’t pay to let it go, lettuce is better picked early than late.

Lettuce will do well with only 5 or more hours of sunlight a day, and in areas where the temperature will get fairly hot you can take advantage of that by planting on the east side of a building or fence, or putting up a shade structure.

In general lettuce is a light feeder, so an initial application of fertilizer is probably all that will be needed. A soil pH of about 6.0 to 7.5 is preferred. If you are planting in a container then try to get a soil depth of at lest 6-8 inches.

There are 4 major types of lettuce:

Leaf lettuce – Many varieties, among the most heat tolerant and easiest to grow. The leaves are loosely bunched instead of a tight head, with many types and colors. It not only grows quickly, but the harvest can be extended by simply cutting a few leaves at a time, cutting a couple of inches above the ground. Some examples are Black Seeded Simpson, Early Curled Simpson, Red Sails and Oak Leaf Lettuce.

Butterhead Lettuce – The leaves form small, open heads, and get their name from the buttery center of the head. The smallest of the lettuces, it still is not a tightly bunched head, they are often mutlicolored, and a favorite for salads. The most popular is Buttercrunch, other varieties include Tom Thumb, Summer Bibb, and Little Gem.

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Romain – Sometimes referred to as Cos, these are very colorful, and form upright clusters of leaves. A staple for salads, some examples include Dark Green Cos, Green Towers, and Ideal Cos.

Crisphead – This is your traditional head lettuce. This one is harvest once and done, there is not a second wave of lettuce. Pick it when the head is firm and solid, and the outside leaves turn a slight yellow green color. Iceberg is the most common, others are Ithaca and Great Lakes.

Planting lettuce – If you are direct seeding in the garden (not really recommended for head lettuce), since the seeds are small, plant them 3/8 to 1/2 inch deep, and cover with a fine soil. The spacing varies with the variety, leave lettuce can be thinned to about 8 inches part, but crisphead needs to be spaced about 12-14 inches apart. Often the seeds are started inside and transplanted. If you do start them inside be sure to harden them off by exposing them to the outside conditions a few hours a day for several days ahead of planting, or use a coldframe.

Watering – 1/2 to 1 inch a week, but lettuce needs the watering to be consistent.