Lettuce Gardening

Lettuce is a vegetable plant that is a member of Asteraceae, the daisy family. Because of its leafy appearance, this plant is known as a leaf vegetable which is most commonly used in salads. Besides salads, lettuce can be used in sandwiches, burgers, wraps, soups, etc.   This vegetable is a grown in a cold season vegetable that is produced in spring and fall in most of the regions. The ideal temperature for lettuce growth is 60 degrees. Lettuce crop grows within weeks due to which they are widely available to be used in households.

Different Lettuce Types

There are a number of varieties of lettuce that you can grow in your garden. Lettuce mainly exists in four varieties which are as follows.

1. Butterhead Lettuce

Butterhead whose botanical name is Lactuca Sativa is a sweet, smooth, and delicate kind of lettuce that contains a buttery taste. This variety of lettuce seems like an open rose as it has a flattened, loosehead. The kinds of lettuce that fall in this category are usually called cabbage lettuce. Common members of the butterhead variety include Limestone, Bibb, and Boston.

2. Looseleaf Lettuce

Like butterhead lettuce, looseleaf lettuce is also buttery in taste however, this variety of lettuce does not form heads. Instead, this variety develops tight rosettes of crispy leaves. You might not know that looseleaf lettuce contains variations in leaves’ color, texture, margins, and size. The leaves can be ruffled, curled, reddish, purple, etc.

3. Crisphead Lettuce 

Contrary to the above two kinds, this variety of lettuce has a watery flavor. It consists of a head formed by the pale green leaves that are wrapped tightly. This variety is well known among the folks as iceberg lettuce. The kinds of iceberg lettuce include Ithaca, Green Lakes, and imperial.

4. Celtuce Lettuce

This variety is also named stem lettuce due to its tender leaves and thick stem. As the name suggests, the taste of this lettuce is quite similar to that of celery, zucchini, or cucumber. Celtuce possesses soft, green color skin that is either removed or washed before use. If you are a salad lover, celtuce is a perfect fit for your garden because it can be used in raw form.

Lettuce Harvest Time

Lettuce can be harvested in the same season you grow it. Since spring and fall are the ideal seasons for the growth of lettuce, you can also harvest the lettuce crop in fall or spring. Six to eight weeks are enough for the ideal growth of lettuce varieties. Lettuce plant leaves get matured after 30 days but you can harvest the crop any time depending upon the size you want. Once the leaves are matured, cut them off carefully so the next crop can grow without any problem.

Lettuce Water And Light requirement

To grow appropriately, a lettuce plant requires six to eight hours of direct sunlight. The ideal temperature for lettuce plant growth is 16 Celsius or 60 degrees. In case your plantation site does not receive enough sunlight, hang fluorescent bulbs of almost 15 watts above the lettuce plants. As compared to other plants, lettuce requires less water to grow. Growing lettuce in your garden won’t be tough on you only need to water them twice a week. In the growing period, the lettuce plants need to be watered more frequently.

How To Grow Lettuce

You can grow any variety of lettuce in your garden by following the below-listed steps.  

1. Before planting the seeds, find a place that receives direct sunlight for six to eight hours. But if you are planning to grow a looseleaf variety of lettuce, you can select a with partial shade. This is because, as compared to the heading types, looseleaf grow faster in low light. Once you have selected a place for plantation, form a bed by digging the soil up to one or two inches.
2. Since lettuce forms a shallow root system, it can be grown in containers, fabric planters, window-boxes pots, 8 pocket herb gardens, and baskets. You just need to make sure that the container you are using has drainage holes and is 6 inches deep.
3. Once the plantation bed is ready, cover it with mini tunnels made of plastic and fabric. During the spring season, these tunnels will save your lettuce plantation bed from cool temperatures besides grabbing solar energy.
4. While sowing the lettuce seeds in the plantation area, keep the distance of almost two inches if you are growing a variety of lettuce. Each row of the seeds should be 18 inches apart or at least 12 inches. Be careful while sowing the seeds because they shouldn’t be too deep. If they are sown too deep, they won’t receive the required sunlight. After sowing the seeds, cover them with a layer of soil.
5. After plantation, take care of the lettuce plants by keeping in mind their light and water needs. Make sure, your plants are getting water twice per week and six to eight hours of sunlight.
6. When the leaves get fully matures after six to eight weeks, cut and put them in the refrigerator for 10 days.

Common Pests And Diseases

For a desirable lettuce crop, you need to protect it from the following pests and diseases.

1. Cabbage Flea Beetles

These pests appear in spring and attack the vegetables like turnip, cauliflower, and cabbage. These insects attack the tissues leaving behind pierced leaves. They continue to grow in number when they lay eggs in the ground.

2. Aphids

Aphids are tiny insects that attack the flora and damages the lower part of the leaves. These insects attacks in groups which often causes lettuce plants to die.

3. Lettuce Shot Hole

This disease occurs due to the fungus attack. As a result of this disease, the outer layer of the lettuce plant establishes white and brown spots. As the disease progress, the spots become circular and forms a brown halo.

Remedies And Caring Tips For Disease Prevention

You can avoid the attacks of pests and diseases by following the below tips.

• Use fungicides to treat fungus diseases such as lettuce drop, downy mildew, gray mold, etc.
• To prevent contamination, separate green leaves from the damaged ones.

Expose the plants to the required sunlight and give the essential amount of water.