Growing Lettuce in Your Garden

Lettuce is a staple in most households. It’s cheap to buy in the grocery store, but even cheaper to grow at home. Lettuce that is grown at home is not only fresher when you use it but it has much better flavor than the bagged varieties found in your grocery store. It’s an easy to grow vegetable that will make its way to your plate in no time. This crop is ideal for beginner gardeners because it’s low maintenance and produces crops in as little as 30-40 days after planting.

There are two main types of lettuce: head lettuce and leaf lettuce. Head lettuce is lettuce that grows leaves in a large bunch or head. Two examples of head lettuce are Romaine and Iceberg. Leaf lettuce doesn’t create a head. Leaf lettuces are what you typically see in a bag of mixed or spring greens.

Planting

Lettuce is a cool-season crop and grows best in the spring or summer, when temperatures are between 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit. Lettuce is a crop grown for its leaves, not flowers or fruit. You’ll want to avoid letting your lettuce bloom, a process known as bolting. When lettuce bolts, it shoots upwards at the center and will start to get flowers on it.

Lettuce that bolts is bitter and inedible. Some lettuce varieties may also develop a woody texture rather than the normal, crunchy or soft texture that you’re used to. In order to avoid bolting, don’t try to grow lettuce when temperatures are above 70 degrees Fahrenheit.