Gardening Tips for Growing Lettuce

Growing lettuce is fun and easy and a great way to create your own unique salad blend that you can enjoy all summer! With a little diligence and patience, lettuce plants can be productive and easy to maintain. I try to grow some every summer.

Make sure to find a nice sunny spot in your garden to plant your lettuce. Lettuce plants thrive in well-drained soil and love lots of fertilizer and/or compost. If you don't compost, you can pick up a natural or organic fertilizer at your local nursery. Because lettuce doesn't take up lots of space, just about any type of garden will work! I have grown lettuce in large pots on balcony gardens!

Select which type of lettuces you would like to grow and purchase your seeds. There are so many varieties of lettuces to choose from, so pick a selection that you really like. The seed packets will give you more specific directions for planting. For the most part, seeds can be planted directly into ready soil and will start to grow. Plant seeds fairly shallow in moist soil and cover lightly. In a few days, you should see your plants start to grow!

Lettuces require lots of water, so make sure to water well if there is a dry period. You can plant seeds during the summer for a fall harvest, just make sure to give them lots of water! You might need to thin out your plants if they seem too crowded. Or, start seeds indoor in early spring and plant when lettuces are 3 weeks old. Lettuces usually take in-between 60 to 80 days to reach full maturity. While you are waiting for the right time to harvest, keep your lettuces watered and fertilized to optimize healthy plants.

Harvesting your lettuce at the right time ensures the best product. This can be the most challenging part of growing lettuces! Make sure to keep records on when your seeds were planted to follow their development. Nothing is worse than harvesting beautiful lettuce you have been nurturing only to find it bitter and inedible because it was left too long before harvesting! You can either harvest lettuce leaves individually, or cut the whole plant.

Growing lettuce is easy and also a fun way to try different types of lettuce greens! Make sure to keep your plants well watered while they are growing, but try to water either early morning or evening. Harvest your lettuces in the morning when they full of water creating great crisp leaves. When it gets hot, your lettuce suffers! Harvest mature lettuces during hot spells and keep crisp in the fridge to enjoy. You can't go wrong with lettuce!

Source:

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