Lettuce … Planting times: North Florida: Sept – Oct & Feb – Mar Central Florida: Sept – March South Florida: Sep – Jan Dehydrated lettuce does not rehydrate very well. Finally, if you’re in an area where you get a bone-chilling winter, be sure to put a cold frame over your lettuce to give it some warmth. You can start some lettuce plants in advance, 4-6 weeks prior to the final frost, and transplant them out once the ground is able to … Great heat tolerance, good for baby greens. With some planning, regular planting and correct variety selection it’s possible to grow lettuce all year round. Or do different things different times of the year. A: Lettuce likes to hang out with carrots, radishes, cucumbers and strawberries. The crisphead is the variety that most of us are familiar with from the grocery store. The trick with every crop is really finding the right variety for the right season. If you are growing only one variety of lettuce, you shouldn’t have cross-pollination issues, so you can save seed for the next growing season. Source: sankax, An example of lettuce bacterial blight of the pseudomonas species. The initial pre-sowing fertilization is the most important. Pulling it out by the roots does make it easier to start another batch of lettuce in the same location after adding a bit more compost to the soil, so if you are succession planting, it might be be easiest to use this method and compost your roots. Direct sow your seed 1/4″ to 1/2″ under the surface. The treatment for this fungal disease is much the same as damping off – space your plants wide enough to allow for plenty of air to move around them, and reduce the frequency of watering. It’s best to harvest your lettuce early in the morning when it’s at its crispest. Remove affected plants and destroy them. Less susceptible to twisted leaves. You can also opt to use a floating row cover to provide shade, but be sure that the ends are kept open to provide airflow. Lettuce, All Year Round (100% Heirloom/Non-Hybrid/Non-GMO) As its name suggests, this is a lettuce that can be gown throughout the year, though it will require protection with a … Sometimes these will include other things such as radicchio or Napa cabbage, but most of the time it’s just a blend of lettuce types. Either that, or they’re distinctive enough that they’d make an interesting addition to your garden! Is your lettuce turning yellow — and it’s not a yellow or yellow-green variety? A: Mesclun is actually a mix of different types of lettuce leaves. There’s so many types of lettuce that there’s no possible way I can feature them all. But what if it’s not? Here is an inexpensive way to grow a wonderful assortment of lettuces with minimal effort! Resistant to downy mildew. Pay attention to the estimated days to maturity on your lettuce seed packet, and try to harvest it at or just before that date hits. Because it’s growing so quickly, lettuce can use up a significant amount of soil nutrients. To deter aphids, planting rows of chives, cilantro, or garlic between rows of lettuce will help, as aphids don’t like the aroma of these plants. I opt to grow lettuce in shadier locations year-round, just to get the most out of those areas which won’t usually provide much produce. One of the most common problems is poor germination. Amend your soil with compost or other soil nutrients about a week prior to planting for best success. Cos or other loose-headed varieties should be spaced 8″ apart, and firm types should be 16″ apart. While it’s good for your lettuce to have at least an hour or two of sun during the day, pick locations where the peak sunlight periods aren’t going to harm your tender greens. Very winter-hardy. You can grow your lettuce directly in ground-level beds, but if you do that, be sure to keep a watchful eye out, as slugs and snails are very happy to eat all your young crops! If any of your stored lettuce has started to wilt, don’t panic! Our Garden Planner has a number of powerful features to help you really maximise your space and your time. Romaine lettuce is a classic choice for Caesar salad. Active growth takes place when days are between 60 to 70 degrees. If the weather is mild, don’t water until you’ve checked your soil moisture. Lettuce grows almost as readily as grass in most areas. As the weather warms up, switch to more heat-resistant varieties of lettuce. Ruffled light green leaves. Here’s a list of common issues you may encounter and how to handle them. Early spring and late fall lettuce. Growing your lettuces close to chives or garlic plants helps to keep the vegetable pest free. Quite pretty. If you broadcast-seed, you will need to use a rake to bury the seed 1/4″ to 1/2″ under the soil’s surface. Never allow the soil to completely dry out — you want them to have consistent and regular moisture to draw on. The term “cos” is a term for the romaine types of lettuce. This will protect it from the elements. Yes, this means that you can grow lettuce year round. Even Free! Begin by filling a bowl full of cold or cool water. Summer is the best time of year to grow, as you'll have the most natural light available. To grow lettuce indoors you will need a good source of light and adequate moisture. Head varieties can either have outer leaves trimmed off for immediate use or can be grown until the full head has developed. Lettuce greens. You can also use this method to try to make lettuce “chips”, but as they crumble in your fingers, this may be more trouble than it’s worth; using them as a powder is easier. Lettuce Choose the right varieties and you can have lettuce almost all year round. Slow to become oversized. Quick-growing and heat resistant. You have entered an incorrect email address! The box has allowed us to grow lettuce year round. Q: Are there good companion plants for lettuce? It’s really easy and with a bit of planning you can grow lettuce year round. This is especially true of loose-leaf lettuces, which are best eaten the day that they’re picked. Crazy name! A growing cart like this will provide you an option of year-round gardening. Your seedlings will wilt and fall over. But if you’re wishing to have fresh greens year-round, you need to make your selections based on more than just appearance. Sow every 2-3 weeks for a continuous harvest. This the easiest way for growing lettuce indoors. Lettuce is one of the easiest veggies to grow in containers, in your garden or indoors and the results of your efforts are seen fairly quickly. However, you can store loose-leaf lettuce for a few days if needed. Source: anneheathen, A flea beetle, one of the many lettuce pests. If you start seed in advance, you can easily transplant out lettuce into your garden beds once it’s ready. Downy mildew will cause light green to yellow spots on the top of lettuce leaves. That keeps other insect pests out, too! It’s important to mulch around your lettuce to keep the soil moist and give your plants the best chance of success. Also known as Oriental lettuce, it has long and pointed bright green leaves. Vegetables That Grow Year-Round. Since we all want to eat our own produce, that’s not a good thing! Here are some of the basic requirements to grow healthy and crunchy lettuce. When the summer heat is starting to subside, you can get another crop of lettuce in. It’s essential that your leaf lettuce is completely dry before storing. Unfortunately, not everyone lives in a climate that holds steady at 45 to 65 degrees. Overnight cooler temperatures will have allowed your lettuce to suck in moisture and firm up. Often grown to produce extremely tasty romaine hearts. Source: thesoutherngardener, Little Gem lettuce seedlings. Unfortunately, it doesn’t contain a lot of nutrients, although it’s a good source of fiber. Long season. It can be grown in almost any location in the garden – straight in the soil, on the windowsill, or even between your flowers. Once it’s dry, place your leaves between paper towels to absorb any stray moisture, and then place them in a sealed plastic bag. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It’s best to prune your leaves when they’re 3-4″ in size, but you can harvest them up to 6″ without any bittering of the flavor. Frillice or frilly-leaved lettuce variety with a crisp bite. There are people who have dehydrated lettuce to make a lettuce powder to add to smoothies or other power drinks, and that is an option, but it will not provide much flavor to your beverages. And the most amazing part is you can grow it in a small space, even indoors, and that too year-round, with the help of these 7 Ways to Grow Lettuce Indoors. Plant in succession every 2 weeks to ensure you have a consistent crop throughout the growing season. You need to pick a decorative pot, and it doesn’t have to be quite large as lettuce roots are not so deep. The pseudomonas bacteria can cause base rot and leaf rot, as shown in the picture above. If you’ve got a window that receives some direct sunlight, you can grow herbs and vegetables like lettuce indoors on a windowsill quickly. Spreading beneficial nematodes will help to wipe out the population of the pest nematodes, as they will seek out and kill the other varieties. Popular traditional butterhead variety with light green leaves. 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