Cathy Isom has a few tips for you about growing your own lettuce. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
There are a variety of lettuce options you can have for your salads – and you can grow them right at home. Such as Arugula, French Crisp, Butter Lettuce, Romaine, Iceberg, and Leaf Lettuce.
Lettuce, no matter the variety, is traditionally considered a cool weather crop. It grows best in the spring or fall because lettuce prefers temperatures between 60-70° Fahrenheit. Approximately one month before the temperatures begin to rise, stop planting lettuce because most lettuce varieties take 30-60 days until they’re ready to be harvested.
Lettuce does prefer to be grown in full sun. But if worried about warmer temperatures, plant in partial shade to help soil remain cooler. You can start head lettuce indoors approximately one month before it should be planted outdoors. Otherwise, you can grow all varieties of lettuce outdoors from seed. Lettuce needs soil which is loose, cool, and well-draining.
Some of the best companion plants for lettuce include: Corn, Eggplant, Spinach, Tomatoes, Sunflowers, Asparagus, Cucumber, Carrots, and Radishes. Avoid planting lettuce near garlic and onions.
Your lettuce should be ready for harvest anywhere from one to two months after planting. Once you’ve harvested your lettuce crop, store it without washing in a plastic bag in your refrigerator. Don’t seal the plastic bag around the lettuce. Leave room for it to breathe. It should be good for approximately ten days.
I’m Cathy Isom…