Right And Wrong Ways Of Growing Lettuce -- And Little Tips That Will Increase Your Success

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Have you ever wondered if you could grow lettuce in your own garden? If so, you may be amazed at how simple it is to grow. The secret to growing lettuce is to plant it from 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost.

If you live in a tropical area where the growing season is hot, you will want to plant the lettuce indoors in pots. Transplant them as soon as you can so that the lettuce has a chance to mature before the searing hot days of summer.

Planting lettuce Plants

When planting outdoors make sure you have wide rows. Lettuce does not like to be crowded and will not head if the plants are too close together. The seeds should be planted about a quarter of an inch deep and about a foot apart.

The lettuce should be thinned out as it grows to avoid being crowded. The soil will have to drain well and it should be kept moist but not soggy.

Guide to Growing Lettuce

One of the best ways of growing lettuce is to build a cold frame for planting. This is simply a 2 foot by 4 foot rectangular box. It will be about 18 inches tall and have a hinged lid so that you can open it to tend to the lettuce.

Make it from semitransparent material and the lid can be opened when the weather is mild and closed if it is cold. The cold frame will be heated by the sun and allow the lettuce to grow and mature.

However, if you just want to plant your lettuce the old fashioned way, you can plant early enough for the heads to mature before the weather gets too hot.

If you pick the biggest leaves from around the outside of the plant this will allow the inner part of the lettuce to continue to grow. But when the weather gets hot the plant needs to be cut off before a condition known as bolting can occur.

Harvesting Lettuce

Bolting is when the lettuce sends a flower stem up and makes the lettuce taste bitter. The best time to harvest lettuce is when the weather is not so hot.

Mid-day is not a good time because the leaves will be wilted looking. If they do become limp you can chill them and they will become crisp again.

Tips for Growing Lettuce

If you are worried about the weather when you plant lettuce, planting it in a raised bed will help to protect it from freezing.

This will allow you to plant very early in the spring and if needed you can cover the plants to protect them from frost. A floating cover can be purchased to use if you want to grow lettuce using this method.

If you want to grow winter lettuce, use the idea of the cold frame and simply put a heating cable underneath the frame. Cover it with a mesh type of wire so the cable is protected and then cover the whole thing with sand and compost.

This will keep the lettuce at the right temperature for growing and you can have fresh lettuce in the middle of winter.

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