Lettuce is one of our favorite garden vegetables because it is far superior—in both taste and vitamin A content—to the store-bought alternative! Plant in the spring, starting two weeks before frost. In fall, start sowing again eight weeks before the fall frost.
Lettuce, one of the oldest food plants known to man, is believed to have originated in India and Central Asia. Herodotus wrote of lettuce being served in ancient Greece, and it was a favorite vegetable in ancient Rome. The word “lettuce” is derived from the Latin root word “lac” meaning “milk,” referring to the milky juice found in mature lettuce stems.
Columbus and other European explorers brought lettuce seeds to the New World. Our early colonists included lettuce in the first gardens planted in American soil. Today, lettuce is a favorite vegetable here and around the world.
Lettuce is so easy to grow, it often gets taken for granted. With cut and come again varieties, you get a big yield from a small amount of effort and seeds. It is much cheaper to grow your lettuce, especially the specialty varieties, than the premium prices groceries charge for “gourmet” greens.
HOW TO GROW LETTUCE
When to Plant Lettuce
Lettuce loves cool weather. You can begin planting leaf, romaine and butterhead lettuce as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring. Depending on the variety, lettuce germinates in temperatures between 40 to 85 degrees F. If you plant lettuce in successive plantings, with 10 to 14 days in between, you’ll have an extended harvest. To prevent summer bolt, stop planting one month before warm summer temperatures start. Begin planting fall lettuce in late summer so it reaches maturity when the fall air is cool.
Where to Plant Lettuce
Lettuce is so easy to grow it can be started indoors for early transplants or sown directly in the garden. Doing both is recommended to get maximum production.
Start some lettuce seeds indoors in peat pots a few weeks before the last frost date in your area. Provide the seedlings with plenty of sunlight or keep them under artificial lighting until ready to move into the garden. Transplant the seedlings as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring. If a hard freeze threatens, protect the seedlings with a cloche or row cover. Reserve several lettuce seedlings to fill empty spaces in the garden as the season progresses.
To sow lettuce directly in the garden, simply plant the seeds about 1/4 inch deep, tamp them down, and water. It’s that simple! Space the sowings according to packet directions that are based on the size of the mature lettuce. For example, a crisphead may require a square foot of garden space. As many as nine plants of a small leaf lettuce variety can grow in the same space.
How to Plant Lettuce
Before you plant your lettuce seeds, select a sunny spot and make sure the soil is prepared.
The soil should be loose and drain well so it’s moist without staying soggy. To keep the soil fertile, feed it with composted organic matter about one week before you seed or transplant. Since the seed is so small, a well-tilled seedbed is essential. Stones and large clods of dirt will inhibit germination.
Lettuce does not compete well with weeds. Before you plant, ensure the ground is prepared. Rotating locations from year to year help control most diseases. Closely spaced plants will help control weeds.
It doesn’t take much work to grow lettuce from seeds. Lettuce seeds are often quite small and only require a planting depth of ¼ to ½ inch deep. Growing lettuce in rows gives your garden a traditional look. Consider alternating rows of green and red lettuce for a whimsical touch.
How far apart to plant lettuce depends on the type of lettuce you’re planting. When sowing seeds directly into the soil, you should plant approximately 10 seeds per foot. Space your rows 12 to 18 inches apart. Thin leaf lettuce seedlings to 4 inches apart. Romaine and butterhead lettuce seedlings require 6 to 8 inches between each plant. Removed seedlings can be transplanted or eaten as delicious, tender microgreens.
Head lettuce is usually grown from seeds started indoors during warm weather for a fall garden. Transplant head lettuce in rows 12 to 18 inches apart with 10 to 12 inches between each plant.
PESTS & DISEASES
Lettuce is generally disease and pest free, but you should still be vigilant.
Cutworms and slugs are the most bothersome pests. Use a paper collar around young lettuce seedlings to keep the ravenous caterpillars at bay. Slugs are tougher to control. Sprinkle wood ashes or diatomaceous earth over the soil around the plants to discourage the nasty mollusks. Be sure to reapply after each rainfall.
A major threat is lettuce rot which first attacks the lower leaves in contact with the soil and then spreads throughout the plant. The best way to prevent fungal and bacterial diseases is to rotate crops. Don’t plant lettuce in the same bed two years in a row.
HOW TO HARVEST LETTUCE
You can harvest cut and come again types as soon as the outer leaves reach about 6 inches long. If you are growing head lettuce, be sure to harvest before the head starts to elongate. That means it’s ready to bolt and the flavor will suffer. And be forewarned, maturing to a head takes time and therefore makes it more difficult to grow without bolting than the loose-leaf varieties.
For the longest harvest, direct seed or transplant every 7-10 days. When direct seeding, seeds can either be broadcast and planted in wide rows or spaced 8 to 12 inches apart. Spacing is best if you want it to mature into heads.
SOME OF THE LETTUCE VARIETIES
- King Crown
- Mission
- Wallop
- Paris White Cos
- Burpee Bibb
- Red Sail