Your best tips for growing lettuce

Dirtmechanic

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Dodie Thayer was quite the lettuce artist. This is an entire dish set from 1926.
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nikkinemo95

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Produce is a generalized term for many farm-produced crops, including fruits and vegetables. More specifically, the term produce often implies that the products are fresh and generally in the same state as where and when they were harvested. https://mybk-experience.onl
 
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majorcatfish

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growing up iceberg was the mainstay on the table, since getting into gardening we like growing butterhead lettuce for it's flavor. the dw says i'm crazy for growing the red and green butterhead since it tastes the same. but i like having color in my foods.
dw sent this to me while in the hospital.. interesting article

lettuce is easy to grow in the spring and fall also if you able to grow into the winter.
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here's johnny's list of butterhead lettuce.

of course if you live in a hot climate lettuce needs to be watered more often and has a tendency to bolt.

if you want to add some more healthy/tasty things to your salads johnnys also has "greens" to add to your gardens, they have a couple interesting mixes..

this year we tried their premium greens mix it's very easy to grow and quick. it grows well in containers as well in gardens
my first attempt.
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makes a nice photo as well..
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of course it will bolt once it get hot outside. something i tried this summer was to grow it under a shade cloth.
purchased it for my artichokes starts, sorry no photos of them out there since i was in the hospital dw says they were delicious
shade.jpg

so next year will move the shade cloth to the main raised bed area and grow a more sustainable crop, hopefully be able to grow both late into the summer.
just started the first round of the 4 days ago, and will plant more in about a week along with butterhead
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if you want to try growing this recommend ordering a 1/4 oz package it will be plenty for a year..

as for fertilizers....
i just use a 10-10-10 since i have no access to poop.
if you don't either and you want to go organic you can use bone meal, blood meal and greensand/ kelp meal, yes i had to look this up...

since leaving the hospital have changed my diet eating a lot healthier, salads is a major part of it..
....as mom told all us kids........ "lettuce is nature's broom"
 
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AMKuska

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Thank you so much for your thoughts @majorcatfish I'm trying to change my diet too, but so I can perform better at spartan races. I'm currently in the process of giving up soda :thbut it's really hard to manage the weight loss that always comes with it.

We have snow in the winter most years, and it freezes every year, but it's not extreme cold. I'll try putting a little outside and see how it does, the rest in my greenhouse. I have both access to poop and a rotating composter, which I should have the first layer next year.
 

AMKuska

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When I prep the beds where lettuce will be planted I add an inch layer of chicken bedding and water it in really well. After that I dont fertilize at all. It's not a very hungry plant.
Muir and cherokee are my fave variety for summer, both from Johnnyseeds.com. this variety does great during the heat of the summer and does not bolt easily as long as you keep it watered really well, daily or twice a day on really hot days. You can harvest the whole head or just the outer leaves.

Besides slugs I have not other pests on my lettuce. I use sluggo brand slug bait for this with great results.
I direct seed in the fall, winter and spring. Lettuce wont germinate when the soil is too hot.

We love lettuce!

Just came back to this thread and realized I never asked you more about this. Does Muir and cherokee turn bitter when it gets hot? I don't mind watering a lot (my daughter and son are both madly in love with watering) but I don't like bitter lettuce haha
 

Cosmo spring garden

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Just came back to this thread and realized I never asked you more about this. Does Muir and cherokee turn bitter when it gets hot? I don't mind watering a lot (my daughter and son are both madly in love with watering) but I don't like bitter lettuce haha
It does go slightly bitter during the hottest part of summer. Mine was in full sun so maybe planting it in partial afternoon shade may prevent that?
 

thejenx

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Lettuce doesn't need any extra fertiliser, just a healthy soil. I mostly sow directly with a bit radish and then thin while eating, first baby plants then pick leafs from the bottom up, the plant will keep growing while you harvest. I will always let a few go to seed so save for next year, I also let them sow themself and have lettuce coming up on it's own. I like loose leaf and oakleafed lettuce, but also musturd greens like Amsoi and Purple Frills which both can be eaten in a salad or in cooked dinner.
I also sow lettuce around plants that don't need the whole bed when you plant them, like cabbage.
 

ninnymary

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I grow my lettuce in part shade. I like mesclun mixes for the variety and because they are cut and come again. Just either remove outer leaves or cut down to the bottom. It will regrow. We also eat a lot of ceasar salads so romaine is a must. My son loves Little Gem so I grow that mainly for him but it is delicious and pretty.

Mary
 

flowerbug

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I grow my lettuce in part shade. I like mesclun mixes for the variety and because they are cut and come again. Just either remove outer leaves or cut down to the bottom. It will regrow. We also eat a lot of ceasar salads so romaine is a must. My son loves Little Gem so I grow that mainly for him but it is delicious and pretty.

Mary

you probably have near perfect weather for lettuce there. :)
 

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