How To Plant Lettuce

 

The botanical name of Lettuce is Lactuca sativa and there are hundreds of varieties of lettuce, from the soft and delicate bibb lettuce to the crisp and colorful rouge d'hiver. Lettuce plant is an easy-to-grow annual and is a classic for beginner and expert gardeners. Most types of lettuce grow quickly, maturing in 5 to 8 weeks. Many Lettuces are suitable for cut-and-come-again harvesting, so you can snip off a few leaves anytime you want a salad. Lettuce is actually a cool-season vegetable, and in most home gardens it is planted in the early spring and harvested in late spring to early summer. A lot of gardeners plant a second crop of lettuce as the days grow cooler in fall. 

Lettuce can actually be divided into 4 major categories: head lettuce, romaine/cos, leaf lettuce, and butterhead (loose head). The leaf lettuce actually has the greatest number of varieties available and is the most popular type for home gardens.

Lettuce Plant Info

The common name: The common name is Lettuce, garden lettuce.

The botanical name: The botanical name is   Lactuca sativa.

The family: Lettuce plants belong to Asteraceae family.

The plant type:  Annual, vegetable.

The size: six to twelve inches tall and wide.

The sun exposure: Lettuce plants prefer full sun, partial sun.

The soil type: Lettuce plant does well in loamy, rich, well-drained soil.

The soil pH: Acidic, neutral (six to seven)

The blooming time: Seasonal

USDA Hardiness Zones: 2a–11b

The native area: Lettuce is native to Mediterranean. 

Types of Lettuce

Actually Lettuce is divided into 4 distinct groups:

- Crisphead Lettuce: This particular variety forms a firm head with a crisp texture and distinct veins. The Crisphead Iceberg Lettuce is the most commonly grown commercial variety.

- Butterhead Lettuce: This variety also forms a head, but the texture is more soft and pliable with less distinct veins compared to the Crisphead variety.

- Looseleaf Lettuce: This particular variety forms a kind of bunch instead of a head. The Looseleaf lettuce can actually re-grow from a cut stem without losing quality in flavor or texture.

- Cos or Romaine Lettuce: This particular variety is an upright plant with long, narrow leaves that look coarse but are quite tender.

- Batavians Lettuce: This particular variety of Lettuce is probably the least well-known type of lettuce. The Batavians Lettuce can be sown and harvested like looseleaf lettuces, but mature into crisp round heads fairly quickly, making them ideal for those gardeners who enjoy Crisphead lettuces but have a short cool season. The Batavians Lettuce is ready to harvest (as heads) fifty-five to sixty days after sowing.

Lettuce vs. Cabbage

Both Cabbage and Lettuce varieties actually grow in heads with layers of leaves. However, cabbage tends to be tougher than lettuce because it has lower water content. Cabbage normally has a stronger flavor while lettuce is very mild. 

How to Plant Lettuce

When to plant Lettuce

You can plant lettuce in the spring as soon as the soil can be worked. Or, you can easily start the Lettuce seeds inside around 5 weeks before your area's projected last spring frost date. You can continue sowing the Lettuce seeds every 2 weeks to have a continual harvest if you wish. For a fall harvest, plant the Lettuce roughly 7 weeks before the first fall frost.

Selecting a planting site

Make sure you choose a fairly sunny growing site with well-draining, organically rich soil. Container growth is also an option. To actually maximize the efficiency of your garden you can plant lettuce among warm-season vegetables, such as tomatoes. By the time the lettuce is finished in early summer, the warm-season vegetables will be actively growing and able to take over the space. Also, aim to plant your lettuce in a different spot each season to reduce the risk of soil-borne diseases.

Spacing, Depth, and Support

Plant the Lettuce seeds only around 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep, as the seeds need light to germinate. Space rows at least a foot apart. The space between the Lettuce seedlings depends on the mature width of the variety. But in general, keeping the lettuce plants fairly close together will help to suppress weeds. A support structure shouldn't be needed.

Light requirement

Full sun, meaning at least 6 hours of direct sunlight on most days, is perfect for lettuce. But the Lettuce plant also will grow in partial sun and does appreciate some shade in warm climates. However, too much shade can make the growth of the plant leggy and weak.

Soil requirement

Lettuce actually likes soil that's light, rich in organic matter, and well-draining. A neutral to slightly acidic soil pH is best.

Water requirement

Like with other salad greens, it’s vital to maintain even soil moisture for lettuce. If the soil gets too dry, the Lettuce plants might bolt, or send up flower spikes and go to seed, which turns the leaves bitter. Dry soil also can cause the plant leaves to become sun-scorched. It’s best to water the plant regularly throughout the week anytime the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch versus doing one weekly deep watering.

Mulching the plant

Actually, Lettuces will also benefit from a good layer of mulch. You can install a two to three inch layer of organic mulch, such as wood chips, straw, leaves, or grass clippings around the lettuce plant; make sure to leave a little space around the plant to prevent rot. This layer of mulch will actually help to retain moisture, keep the soil cool, reduce the amount of weeding you have to do, and keep the lettuce clean by preventing soil from splashing up on the leaves when you water.

Temperature and humidity requirement

Lettuce grows best in a temperature range between roughly forty-five and seventy degrees Fahrenheit. Hot weather can turn the plant leaves bitter. For summer plantings, it is very vital to select varieties with heat tolerance. Some lettuce varieties can tolerate a light frost but not a freeze. Humidity typically is not an issue for the lettuce as long as adequate soil moisture is maintained and there's airflow around the Lettuce plants.

Fertilizer requirement

If you are growing the Lettuce in soil that is full of organic matter, you may not need to fertilize. To fertilize the plant, work compost into the soil before planting. Then provide your lettuce plant with nitrogen-rich fertilizer starting around 3 weeks after planting, following the label instructions, to keep your Lettuce plant growing well and producing regularly. Fish emulsion is an ideal organic fertilizer for lettuce plant. You can apply the fish emulsion at half of the recommended dosage every 2 weeks. It is best to apply the diluted fish emulsion directly to the soil. You can use it as a foliar feed as well, but make sure to wash your lettuce very thoroughly before eating it.

Pollination

Lettuce is actually a self-pollinated crop.

How to harvest Lettuce

The best time of the day to harvest Lettuce is actually in the morning when the lettuce is still plump and the sun hasn’t caused it to wilt at all. You can harvest cut-and-come-again lettuce types as soon as the outer leaves reach about six inches long. Just trim off these outer leaves, leaving the inner leaves to continue to mature. If you are growing head lettuce, make sure you harvest before the head starts to elongate. That means it's ready to bolt, and the flavor will suffer. It can be stored in the refrigerator in a plastic bag for up to ten days.

Growing Lettuce in Pots

Actually, growing lettuce in a pot or bag is a good option to help protect it from pests. You also can keep the pot in a convenient spot for harvesting. Make sure to check the space requirements for your particular lettuce variety. In general, a pot that’s six to twelve inches across should suffice. Make sure the container has drainage holes. Unglazed clay is an ideal container material, as it will allow excess soil moisture to escape through its walls.

Pruning Lettuce plant

The only pruning maintenance lettuce plant actually needs is harvesting its mature leaves. Also, you can easily trim off any broken leaves that drag on the ground to prevent them from introducing pests and diseases to the Lettuce plant.

How to propagate Lettuce

Lettuce is usually grown from seeds. But the Lettuce also can be re-grown from scraps. This won’t provide as large of a harvest as your initial planting, but it is an inexpensive and easy way to get more lettuce. Here is how:

- Just cut off the bottom of the lettuce, leaving only about an inch of leaves on the base.

- Then put the base in a shallow dish of water by a sunny window.

- You need to change the water every couple of days. You ought to see some root and leaf growth in about a week.

- Harvest the Lettuce leaves in 2 weeks. At this point, they’ll likely be as large as they will grow and will only degrade from there.

Growing Lettuce from seed

Whether you’re planting the Lettuce in pots or the ground, make sure the Lettuce seeds are only lightly covered in soil. Make sure you keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy as the Lettuce seeds germinate, which should take around 7 to ten days. The soil temperature should be at least forty degrees Fahrenheit and ideally between fifty-five and sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit.

Potting and Repotting Lettuce

A quality all-purpose potting mix is usually fine for lettuce plant. But a mix marked specifically for lettuce is better, as it usually has components to retain adequate soil moisture. Aim to plant the lettuce initially in a pot that will accommodate its mature size to avoid having to disturb its roots with repotting.

Overwintering

Lettuce is actually an annual, so no overwintering is required. Make sure you harvest in the fall before freezing temperatures arrive. 

Pest and Disease control

Lettuce plant normally doesn’t have any serious disease problems, except for potentially powdery mildew and downy mildew. Growing lettuce plants in the environment it likes can help to prevent these issues.

The common pests that might affect lettuce plants include the following:

- Aphids: Aphid insects can also be a problem. If they are, you can easily knock them off with a blast of water from the hose or try a homemade spray to get rid of them.

- Cutworms: Cutworms can also be a problem to Lettuce plant, and one of the best ways to protect the plants against them is to install a collar made of thick paper or cardboard around the base of the newly planted lettuce seedlings.

- Slugs: Slugs and snails are Lettuce plants biggest enemy, and they can be thwarted by setting out a saucer of beer to trap them in, or by sprinkling diatomaceous earth or crushed eggshells around your Lettuce plants. These sharp substances cut the slugs' underbellies when they slide across them and kills them. 

- Rabbits: If your pests are of the long-eared, four-footed variety that likes to nibble on the lettuce plant leaves, the best defense against rabbits and other critters is to install a metal fence around the garden, or around the bed in which you are growing your lettuce plant. You can also try sprinkling cayenne pepper on the Lettuce plants to deter the rabbits.