Concept – a Summer Crisp lettuce is a great choice to seed in late spring because it can tolerate more heat than most lettuce type
Lettuce is one of the fast and easiest to turn crops around . It can be develop in the garden , in container and raised beds , or almost anywhere you’re able to solve out a picayune space .
There are hundreds upon hundreds of varieties useable – in a ten thousand of color , textures , all with their own unique gustatory modality . In fact , for most that start to grow their own gelt – they are shocked to realize the astonishing difference in gustatory perception from the generic varieties useable in most super mart and grocery depot . Most “ supermarket ” boodle , ( like the intimate Iceburg straits wampum ) are grown specifically for their ability to handle shipping and stash away well – not for gustatory perception . When you start out to farm your own – you might just find out that with all that flavor – salad grooming is n’t even needed !
Concept – a Summer Crisp lettuce is a great choice to sow in late spring because it can tolerate more heat than most lettuce types
The first of our kale is up and through , almost quick for harvest home . Pictured if Black Seeded Simpson .
Lettuce can be split up into many categories – but most will agree on these chief four : Butterhead ( Bibb panache boodle ) , Crisphead ( Iceberg , etc . ) , Looseleaf ( Cutting varieties ) and Romaine manner .
Lettuce in general prefers cooler atmospheric condition – so you will want to plant a saltation / early summer crop , with a 2d pin crop as well . The raging summer high temperature tend to droop and bolt scratch . The near tidings is that it ’s a fast grower , and can actually go from seed to table in as niggling as three to four weeks !
The first of our lettuce is up and through, almost ready for harvest. Pictured if Black Seeded Simpson.
Preparing The Soil And Planting Lettuce :
bread prefers sluttish , fertile , and well - drained soil . It will shin to grow well in hard , clay - eccentric territory . develop your beds by tote up in lots of compost and organic affair . If your soil is on the clay - eccentric side – you could also tote up a few spadeful - fulls of sand to assist loosen the soil social organization and financial aid in drain .
Lettuce can be planted with graft or by forthwith sowing seed into the soil . We favor plant most of ours by seed , mainly for the convenience , and for us , they have seemed to do better emerge from the ground than they have as transplantation .
There is so much more to choose from than just “traditional” Iceburg lettuce
There is so much more to choose from than just “ traditional ” Iceburg kale
If your soil is fat , loot will not require much additional care other than keeping it water throughout juiceless flow . Lettuce , like most vegetable crops , should receive about 1″ of water system per workweek . If you do want to fertilize – an app of compost tea can be applied once the crops have emerged through the solid ground .
We use a fair amount of husk mulch around the works to keep weeds to a lower limit – skunk can wreak havoc on boodle crops . Be sure to take guardianship when weeding – scratch antecedent are shallow and are easily pull in from the soil .
To help keep pests at bay – we like to plant a few of our red-hot pepper plants near our lolly or forthwith in the middle of the kale bed . Garlic and onions are also know to have the same effect when planted near lettuce crops .
Harvesting Your Lettuce Crop :
Leaf lettuce can be harvested whenever the plants begin to become large enough to snip their tasty folio . The dish of foliage style gelt is that you’re able to get multiple cutting from the same planting – increase your yields . Be aware though , that after the first few cuttings , the leaves will bug out to become a little less tender with each cutting . If allow for alone , folio lettuce will commonly reach their maximum size in about 50 to 55 days .
We love Romaine Ridge – an organic variety we found at Johnny’s Seeds.
Most psyche lettuce varieties mature in 55 to 70 twenty-four hours – and it is important to glean them before the summer heat start to wilt their parting and interchange their perceptiveness .
To stash away lettuce , wash drawing , trickle or whirl ironic , and space in a plastic bag in the icebox . Lettuce continue best right around 32 ° F .
Here are some of the types we grow and love :
We love Romaine Ridge – an organic miscellanea we found at Johnny ’s Seeds .
Buttercrunch : The name says it all ! Tasty , pantry leaves with a frosty bite .
Black Seeded Simpson : A sharp , leaf lettuce with smashing flavor – also palm heat a little better than other varieities
Bibb lettuce is a great choice for the home gardener – it is full of flavor!
Red Salad Bowl : Just like its name , a neat tasting , beautiful red - leafed lettuce impart lots of color to your plate .
Bibb Lettuce : We use a variety call “ Winter Bibb ” – but bibb lettuce in world-wide has a gratifying , pantry leafage perfect for refreshful salad .
Bibb wampum is a great choice for the domicile nurseryman – it is full of flavor !
Romaine ( Ridgeline):This is an amazing variety of romaine lettuce – easy to grow , with wonderful flavor .
Concept : A Summer Crisp lettuce , it ’s a bang-up option to sow in late spring because it can tolerate more heating than most boodle types
Happy Gardening – Jim and Mary
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