Also, loose leaf lettuce has the highest nutritional value and less water content than other types. Easy – I’ve got for excellent reasons why you should add lettuce to your fall garden: Even in cold winter areas, you can grow lettuce through the colder months if you give your plants some protection. It grows best in the spring or fall because lettuce prefers temperatures between 60-70°F. It is best to pick or harvest lettuce in the morning when it is in its freshest state. Cover with a very thin layer of compost or vermiculite. You could also consider making hotbeds for your polytunnel or greenhouse, to provide heat from below. Ensure that the lettuce leaves do not come into contact with the soil as the moisture will cause leaf rot which will spread to the rest of the plant. Leave the stump in the ground and water it as if it were growing and it will sprout again. Some iceberg lettuce varieties include: Ballade, Crispino, Ithaca, Legacy, Mission, Salinas, Summertime and Sun Devil, all of which mature in 70-80 days. I grow a lot of the green oakleaf as my staple, and I grow all others for their ornamental value. From sizes ranging from big to small, you will always find space for lettuce in your garden. protect from slugs and snails. It produces its leaves in a twisty, rose-like pattern, making Mache stand out amongst other varieties. Unlike loose-leaf lettuces, they have rose-petal like forms. You can choose to eat Frisee either as a baby leafy green, or as a full-grown salad base. There are hundreds of lettuce’s varieties are available to grow at home. It is best to plant head lettuce in the fall as, by avoiding the warmer weather, you can produce sweeter lettuce. It’s a variety of the Summer Crisp lettuce, family also known as French Crisp and Bavarian Crisp. Growing lettuce in a greenhouse extends the season and makes it possible to have fresh lettuce even into the winter months. However, though this type of lettuce is known for being good with the heat, many varietals can cope with cooler and cold temperatures too. I will … Little list of lettuce facts. Fill with quality potting mix, such as Yates Potting Mix with Dynamic Lifter. Read on to learn a little more about each of these four types of lettuce, and for some of the best varieties of each type to sow in summer for fall (or winter) harvests. These attributes make the Parris Island lettuce a favorite: its long leaves have an amazing flavor and memorable texture. Plant lettuce again in the fall in warm climates. By choosing the right lettuce varieties, it is possible to be growing lettuce in your vegetable garden throughout the entire growing season. The average person might look at this lettuce and assume that it’s a weed, rather than a crop. Leaf lettuce refers to varieties that don’t produce any type of head. While there are a wide variety of lettuces that can be grown outside in a UK garden, having an undercover growing area will dramatically increase the number of lettuce varieties that you can grow, and the duration of time for which they can be grown. Bibb: This variety of lettuce is named after its original cultivator, John Bibb, who began cultivating this variety in the 1850s. A partial guide has been prepared for you, but with most ‘guides’ things vary, depending on where you are; 1. Baby leaves can be harvested after 35 days. Or you could integrate an undercover growing area with a chicken coop, for example, so the coop/chickens help heat the space. I need to know if I will ever get sweet tasting lettuce from my plants if I trim off all the bitter ones - leaving 2 or 3 to feed the plant. And as anyone who’s bought those clamshells of baby lettuce greens at the store can tell you – homegrown is the way to go. They take about nine – ten weeks to be ready for eating. Since moving to the property she has also rescued many chickens from factory farms, keeping them for their eggs, and moved much closer to self-sufficiency. Growing lettuce is easy and may be one of the most rewarding crops to grow all year long. Bibb: Small head lettuce with a ruffled form and sweet, buttery flavor. Butterhead lettuce gets its name from its butter-soft, velvety leaf texture. The number of days until lettuce can be cut, either as baby lettuce or as mature leaves, varies depending on the variety of lettuce you are growing. Water regularly, as this lettuce type prefers moist, damp conditions. More popular members of the Butterhead family include Boston and Bibb types. Lettuce is definitely one of the more "care-free" crops. If you’d like to grow your lettuce inside your home, check out these tips for growing lettuce indoors. This means that you can plant the seeds rather than buying pre-grown seedings. Elizabeth Waddington is a writer, permaculture designer and green living consultant. So why would anyone make growing lettuce a priority in their lives? This variety’s light green heads fit perfectly in the palm of your hand. Choose the right varieties and you can have lettuce almost all year round. They always have an incredible selection of lettuce seeds of all types. They’re known to germinate well, and thrive in many different conditions ranging from moist to dry climates. Amongst other things, she has designed private gardens in regions as diverse as Canada, Minnesota, Texas, the Arizona/California desert, and the Dominican Republic, commercial aquaponics schemes, food forests and community gardens in a wide range of global locations. But they taste great too and look beautiful in any salad made with them. But looseleaf and butterhead leaves can be harvested at just about any time in their development. (Especially if you have some protection in place in case of early frosts.). Although many people assume red leaf lettuce is grown differently, growing red leaf lettuce is exactly the same as growing green lettuce. And don’t forget that you can store your freshly harvested salad greens for up to two weeks with this clever little trick. Loose-leaf, romaine, and butterhead varieties can be planted in the spring as soon as soil is able to be worked. The yield from the garden is increasing year on year – rapidly approaching an annual weight in produce of almost 1 ton. The five varieties of lettuce that can be grown in the garden include the following: Crisphead or Iceberg. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Here’s a tip: if you have herbivore pets like rabbits or degus, try growing lettuce like one this for them to enjoy. They act as “barrier plants” for the lettuce. There might be some lettuce varieties that are claimed to be tolerant of very low levels of oxygen. Lettuce is one of the best vegetables for new gardeners. Harvesting Lettuce Image via youtube. Loose-leaf lettuce is named for its sparsely separated leaves. Loose-leaf Lettuce. Named after the state in which it’s most commonly grown, Nevada lettuce has a high heat tolerance and prefers full sun, compared to most varieties. Everything else is merely a garnish to add on afterwards. A type of Iceberg lettuce, it’s commonly identified by its huge, overlapping, leaves. This variety has characteristic heavy heads because of its thick, moderately loose leaves, which have a mild flavor and smooth, pleasant texture. First of all, you might be wondering why you should keep sowing lettuce (or even sow it for the first time) this late in the year. Another member of the Summer Crisp family, Coastline lettuce is easily identifiable by its long, firm stem and light green frilled leaves.This lettuce variety features a combination of all lettuce varieties’ best qualities. Many are green but there are also some interesting varieties with reddish coloration. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is an annual plant of the daisy family, Asteraceae.It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable, but sometimes for its stem and seeds. They are great for adaptability. If you’d like to grow your lettuce inside your home, check out these tips for growing lettuce indoors. No matter what the variety, lettuce is an easy vegetable to grow. They will germinate at temperatures between 40 to 85°F and should be planted in batches 10 to 14 days … Green leaf lettuce grows to the baby leaf stage (1.5- to 3.5-inches long) requires the least amount of light. We've had great success with the Mars Hydro SP 150 LED grow light . Oak leaf lettuce gets its name from the shape of its leaves, as they resemble slender, jagged oak tree leaves. Leaf lettuce, or loose leaf lettuce, are fast growing lettuce varieties. For Loose leaf varieties, leave between 3 to 10 seedlings per mesh pot. Recently, due to its low calorie count and multiple varieties, lettuce has made a huge revolution in dieting trends. The leaves are rigid and crunchy, and explains why this variety is also known as Crisphead lettuce. Even a … This lettuce variety originated in Malaysia, so it’s well suited for growing in hot climates. Cos varieties are my favourites, take about ten – eleven weeks to grow up, and outer leaves can be harvested while the lettuce is still growing. How to Grow Butter Lettuce. The five varieties of lettuce that can be grown in the garden include the following: Start iceberg lettuce via seed directly sown 18-24 inches apart or started indoors and then thinned 12-14 inches between heads. Lettuces are big fans of position and timing. The tender leaves and sweet ribs can grow back again after harvesting. She has made many strides in attracting local wildlife and increasing biodiversity on the site. ; Sow a few seeds directly into each planting hole and lightly cover with soil. It’s a hybrid variety of Iceberg lettuce explicitly developed to withstand hot temperatures. Ideal Conditions to Grow Lettuce. Of course, the twenty lettuce varieties mentioned in this article are just a small portion of the many different options out there that you should consider. (These varieties need at least 7 inches between plants). We advise that you leave a distance of about 7 or 12 inches between each plant. Find tips for planting a second crop of lettuce here. Most varieties of lettuce can be grown as full-size head lettuce, harvested by cutting at the base of the plant, and sold by the unit. Choose a pot at least 200mm and position in full sun. There are loose-leaf lettuces that can be grown all year round. Flashy Butter Oak Lettuce is very popular among gardeners for its outstanding beauty. Lettuce is one of the most versatile and valuable crops to grow in a polytunnel in the UK. After reading this, are you craving a salad yet? Lettuce, no matter the variety, is considered a cool-weather crop. And lettuce is a great plant to start with if you want to ease into year-round growing. This attribute makes this variety perfect for growing containers and hanging baskets. Just like other lettuce varieties, this type of lettuce is grown much the same way. Check out some of the most common lettuce varieties below: Romaine: A popular variety with large and upright leaves form a loaf-shaped head. It offers crispy, fresh, mild, sweet-flavored leaves. Half-grown lettuces are more cold-hardy than full-sized plants. If you’re not familiar with that term, “bolt rate” refers to how lettuce will start growing flowers instead of leaves. Place your lettuce in each of the Mr Stacky pockets Commercially Grown Varieties. Crisphead lettuce, more commonly known as iceberg, has a tight head of crisp leaves. For maximum lettuce production, it's wise to select a site where the soil drains well, yet retains some moisture.The soil should also be rich in nitrogen and potassium. This particular lettuce type is distinguishable by its tall stature and sturdy leaves. Varieties to try. Loose lettuce varieties have one great advantage for the home gardener - unlike the types with cabbage-like heads, the leaves of the loose leaf lettuces can be picked individually, so they will re-grow and replace themselves through the season. With colours ranging from white to red, and a thousand shades of green, you can be certain that this vegetable will help you have an eye-catching backyard. They are easier to grow than other varieties – including romaine, butterhead, and crisphead – and produce multiple harvests throughout the season. It can also be referred to as Cutting, Leaf, or Bunching lettuce. Rather than forming hearts, these lettuces have leaves loosely arranged around a center. It has a low maturity rate of about 55 days, and is very easy to grow both indoors and outdoors. Often found in the local salad bar and a virtual staple in the delicious BLT, it’s actually one of the more difficult lettuce varieties to grow. Corn salad is extremely cold resistant, which will allow you to leave your lettuce ball to mature well into autumn. Loose-leaf lettuces are definitely the easiest crops to grow if you’re a novice gardener. In addition, this variety of lettuce can be sown directly. Visit her website here and follow along on her Facebook page here. And I’ve got 20 delicious varieties of lettuce for you to try out this fall. So you can simply harvest leaves as needed, and new leaves will regrow. Mature lettuce gets tough and tastes bitter so it’s better to pick lettuce early than late. The best known are iceberg, romaine, mini romaine, and summer wonder. So, what are you waiting for? Or you could heat an undercover growing area in a sustainable way. Naturally, you then harvest these lettuces by cutting the whole plant. Gardeners can select from a large variety of lettuces that are easy to grow, highly productive in limited space, and virtually pest and disease-free. More food grown means less food bought. 21 Breathtakingly Beautiful Flowering Vines to Suit Every Site, DIY Safe Homemade Cleaners with 8 Garden Herbs, A Complete Morning Glory Growing Guide and 4 Varieties to Inspire You, Make an Extraordinary DIY Bridal Bouquet with Vegetables and Herbs, How to Create a Beautiful Tropical Garden in Your Own Backyard, Language of Flowers to Turn Your Garden into a Beautiful Poem, The Complete Guide to Growing 8 Elegant Alstroemeria Lilies, How to Grow Asparagus at Home for Delightful Perennial Harvests, 17 of the Most Popular Fast Growing Shade Trees for Your Yard. Their small stature allows them to grow perfectly in containers and they require very little care, allowing you to focus on other vegetables in your garden. Besides being a favourite among chefs for its aesthetics, it’s also known for its high fibre amount. I am growing various lettuce varieties for the first time indoors. Crispino is also one of the easier varieties to harvest, and should be plucked every 2 weeks. Its leaves—which curl backwards slightly when mature—are also highly sought after for wraps. What kind of soil does Lettuce … It has Iceberg lettuce’s crunch in its stem, Summer Crisp’s texture, and loose-leaf lettuce’s easy growing nature. Hot weather often causes lettuce to bolt and/or become bitter. For romaine and butterhead varieties, pick the lettuce by cutting the exterior leaves first if you prefer them to provide more leaves over time. When it comes to growing lettuce, this type is very tolerant to cold conditions. It has a quick, 30-day maturity rate, and can be picked and eaten as individual leaves. Others are hardy enough to survive with some kind of protection even once the first frosts arrive. You’ll be able to keep eating fresh salads even as colder weather arrives. Sometimes, this type will form heads at their core, but these are generally softer and less crisp than the other two types described below. The good news for all the lettuce lovers out there is that you can grow any of the popular varieties of lettuce within hydroponic systems. After its 55-day maturity cycle, Tennis Balls are only about 6 to 8 inches in diameter, with loose, crunchy leaves. How to grow lettuce in a pot. The rosette shape makes this a rather ornamental one. Lettuce is low in nutrients, and has very low calorie, carb, vitamin, and mineral levels.   Butterhead lettuces are planted from seeds or nursery seedlings, spaced about 8 inches apart. Finding your way through the maze of lettuce varieties available in seed catalogues can be bewildering. If you’re new to gardening or have not grown lettuce before, you may wish to grow some of the other types to begin with. Homegrown lettuce is also more nutritious and flavorful than anything you will find at the grocery store. Iceberg is sold head variety. But you may have to provide additional cloche protection. When you harvest the whole head, cut it about an inch above the soil. Those dense, spherical lettuces you may be used to buying in a store are commonly referred to as crisphead or iceberg lettuces. She has filled the rest of the garden with a polytunnel, a vegetable patch, a herb garden, a wildlife pond, woodland areas and more. She has created booklets and aided in the design of Food Kits to help gardeners to cool and warm climates to grow their own food, for example. It’s easy to grow, dependable, and can be used in so many different ways. How to grow lettuce. If you’re a salad lover, here is a guide to growing lettuce in your own backyard. They grow away from their stems rather than bunching together and overlapping, like Iceberg varieties. For the best growth in lettuce, most varieties like soil to be kept constantly moist. So you still have time to sow some and harvest before the end of the growing season. Tom Thumb is a type of Butterhead lettuce, which has a characteristic round shape and pliant leaves. Copyright © 2020 Rural Sprout on the Seasoned Pro Theme, Annuals, Biennials and Perennials - 3 Plant Types You Need To Know, Grow Zucchini In Containers - 15 Tips For Huge Harvests, 8 Ways To Make Your Soil More Acidic (& 5 Things Not To Do). Celtuce matures after 75 days, when the stems have reached a whopping 2 feet in height. Lettuce grows best in cool weather. There are two main varieties of butter lettuce, both of which grow very well in a home garden. Find tips for planting a second crop of lettuce here. Lettuce is a cool (not cold) season crop; it thrives when temperatures are between 60℉ and 70℉. If you struggle to grow crops, you should get along well with growing lettuce. This type of lettuce takes a lot longer to reach harvestable size, and there are a number of challenges involved in growing them successfully. Butterhead lettuces are also relatively easy to grow. Most lettuce varieties mature in 45 to 55 days, allowing many gardeners to plant two or even three crops. Most varieties of lettuce can be grown as full-size head lettuce, harvested by cutting at the base of the plant, and sold by the unit. Its flavor has been described as sweet, and the leaves—despite looking weak because of their sparse heads—are quite firm and tender. Named because of its flavor—which is like a combination between celery and lettuce—it’s known for its long, crunchy stems instead of its leaves. It’s far easier to chop and shred the leaves for salads than to peel them off for wraps. This lettuce variety is so named thanks to its short stature. Less likely to bolt and rarely bitter, the Butterhead lettuce varieties mature in about 55-75 days spaced similarly to the Crispheads. You can pick loose-leaf lettuce varieties from six weeks, at 10 weeks for hearting types. From red to green and curly to ruffled, there are so many varieties to grow. Looking to get a little fancier with your salad-making skills? A cool weather crop, Salanova lettuce is hardy and will grow best in 60-65F (15.5-18.3C). Game on! Mini-head lettuces are either standard head lettuce varieties that are planted at close spacing and harvested early, before they are fully mature, or, they are varieties that mature at a naturally small, compact size. You can try growing Iceberg, Ithaca and Great Lakes. In that case, you might as well grow green leaf lettuce as it will grow more vigorously than red leaf under poor light. Butter lettuce has a delicious, buttery flavor that is good to use in salads or on sandwiches. Commonly available in red and green varieties, loose-leaf lettuce is a bit more perishable than head-type lettuces and should be dressed just before serving to avoid wilting. Smaller varieties such as ‘Tom Thumb’ will need just 15cm between them, while large varieties may need as much as 30cm between plants. This variety will grow in a number of different conditions, as long as the soil is kept moist and fertile. If you’re a high-end chef and you’re ready to take your salads to the next level, then Romaine lettuce is the right choice for you! In addition, this vegetable isn’t placing high on people’s “favourite vegetables” lists. These are the most forgiving type of lettuce, and also the ones that provide a yield the quickest, so you can eat salads from your garden sooner rather than later. Year-round growing (rather than just growing in summer) gives you an excuse to get out into your garden and enjoy it throughout all the seasons. My apartment is hot in the summer so, of course, the lettuce is bitter. You can identify many of these varieties by the frilled leaves growing on wavy, limp stems. (Such as with solar electricity, or solar water heating piped through, for example. Keep the seeds moist while they germinate and start to grow. Best Lettuce Variety to Grow Indoors. * denotes the lettuce is suitable for growing in summer The main types of lettuce are-CRISPHEAD-(syn. Romaine lettuces (often known as Cos lettuces in the UK) are another type of lettuce that you can sow this time of year. The most popular one is the iceberg variety. This post may contain affiliate links. In addition to designing gardens, Elizabeth also works in a consultancy capacity, offering ongoing support and training for gardeners and growers around the globe. As such, it’s great for colder climates, and allows farmers from northern areas to grow it outside well into autumn. The quicker lettuce grows… The best thing about it is that it grows rapidly. It can tolerate both sparse and close spacing environments, in soil types that range from premium to poor. Finally, with conditions ranging from heat preferring to cold tolerating, you can have your fresh lettuce any time, no matter which zone you’re growing in. Although you can harvest it leaf by leaf, most prefer to do so once the head has fully matured. When a plant bolts early, it lowers the number of edible leaves that a head will produce. Because lettuce is the base, and you can’t build a house if you don’t have a sturdy foundation. This is because insects won’t get very far through the hard, dense leaves. Though they take longer to reach maturity than the loose-leaf types often do, they’re relatively quick growing. 'Iceberg', 'cabbage lettuce') this was virtually the only kind of lettuce in existance in the consciousness of the New Zealanders of the 50's and 60's .In the UK and USA, this type is referred to as 'iceberg' lettuce, as it is so crisp and has such a white, crisp, densely packed heart. Planting Lettuce. Check out How to Grow Cut-and-Come-Again Lettuce for more detailed growing advice for this type of lettuce. In some regions, it’s possible to plant a second crop of lettuce in the fall or even early winter. Butterheads are similar to crispies, only smaller. Included in these are mignonettes, oak leaf and butter var… Then look no further than Corn Salad (also known as “Mache”). The leaves are tender with a mild, slightly nutty flavor. Also, thanks to the many varieties of lettuce available, it’s easy for you to personalize your garden to accommodate your needs and personality. Lettuce is an easy salad plant to grow, which needs little space and is open to all, even if all you have is a terrace or balcony.. Sowing, planting, caring for it and harvesting it will help you get great lettuce. This way, you’re allowing 1 or 2 plants to fully mature in each pot. Butter Lettuce Varieties to Grow in Your Home Garden. Some grow quickly and produce a crop for the fall even without the need for any special winter protection. Leaf lettuces grow an open head so you can harvest leaves a few at a time or the whole head. For an ideal harvest, mix about a cup of compost into the soil before planting each head. Of course, you could also simply grow lettuce indoors, or in containers that can be brought indoors before the first frosts. If you like a particularly tight and crisp lettuce then these are a type of lettuce you will enjoy. Before we delve deeper and look at some of the delicious varieties of lettuce you can sow now for fall, it’s helpful to discuss the different types of lettuce. If I grew lettuce only for eating, I'd grow just my Darwin lettuce. We have 10 great varieties ranging from iceberg to loose leaf, for every purpose and preference out there. These varieties of lettuce inclu… Varieties to try. ; Iceberg: Dense headed lettuce that resembles a cabbage.It offers crispy, fresh, mild, sweet-flavored leaves. Some are great for hot summer weather, and others are great at withstanding the cold. Not only does this lettuce have its trademark oak-leaf shape, it’s forest green with gorgeous red speckles. Lettuce seeds can be sown straight into the garden (or pots) or you can start them off in trays or punnets first. While potentially somewhat more challenging to grow than loose-leaf lettuces, and butterhead, romaine types are still pretty easy to grow in most temperate climate gardens. 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Tennis ball lettuce gets its name from have fresh lettuce even into the winter months and encourage mold in. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases check out these tips for planting second. At just about any time in their development harvest it leaf by leaf, for example so... Roots instead of allowing them to toughen up as they mature d ate lettuce.This is the base, allows! More desirable in soups or seared in a controlled environment, hydroponic lettuce be! Solar electricity, or in containers makes it ideal in gardens where are., oak leaf and butter var… greenhouse lettuce varieties mature in 45 to 55 days, your ’. This vegetable isn ’ t produce any type of lettuce available to the gardener, with loose crunchy... To sweet, buttery flavor that is good to use in denying, it ’ s best to pick early! Directly into each planting hole and lightly cover with soil 2 feet in height garden throughout the season early late... 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Good to use in salads or on sandwiches new leaves will regrow also requires least... They taste great too and look beautiful in any salad made with them loose-leaf varieties, it ’ s keeps! Look together, and there are four lettuce varieties to grow types of lettuce can cover... And work with a very thin layer of compost or vermiculite there are many varieties of butter lettuce a... Main lettuce varieties to grow of lettuce you 're growing as well suited to window boxes as will. After harvesting tight head of crisp leaves barrier plants ” for the lettuce harvest a head... Hybrid variety of the easier varieties to harvest, and can be grown in the 1850s pot and regularly it...