CyberSalad: Garden Pursuits: Vegetables: Lettuce

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Lactuca sativa

There are many types of lettuce. Head lettuce requires at least two months of relatively cool temperatures. Other types, such as loose-leaf and butter head, grow well in warmer temperatures.
Plant in full sun in spring and fall, and in partial shade in the summer. Start head lettuce about a month before the last spring frost. When seedlings are 2-3 inches tall, harden off and plant in the garden about 12 inches apart. Sow seeds of loose-leaf lettuce directly in the garden, and continue to sow every 2 weeks until maximum daytime temperatures are expected to reach 80º. Sow seed sparingly ½ inch deep and thin to 6-8 inches apart. Fertilize every 3 weeks, and keep the soil moist.

	'Green Ice' loosehead. Wavy and fringed leaf margins have crisp texture, glossy dark green color, and delicious sweet flavor. Combines the best features of butterhead and looseleaf types. Ready to harvest in about 45 days from sowing. Sow in early to mid spring or late summer. Sow seeds evenly and thinly and cover with ½ inch of fine soil. Keep moist. Thin to stand 6" apart, starting when seedlings are 2" high.
	'Great Lakes' head. A summer lettuce type that's also very productive in cool weather. Matures in 85 days. plant in fertile, well-drained soil, spacing plants 12" apart. Provide ample moisture, fertilizer and mulch for best yield.
	'Black Seeded Simpson' leaf. An heirloom lettuce with broad frilled and ruffled lime-green leaves. The tender, silky texture and a very delicate taste have kept this a popular variety. Best in the spring, but will provide good harvest into the summer. Provide even moisture and shade in the summer. Harvest in 45 days.
	'Nevada' leaf. Thick, crunchy leaves with a mild flavor. One of the best-tasting lettuces. Compact and upright, slow to bolt or flower. Provide even water and some shade in the summer. Harvest in 56 days.
	'Grand Rapids' can be grown in cold-frames, greenhouses or gardens. The frilled, light green leaves are crisp, tender and tasty for salads. 'Grand Rapids' is resistant to tip burn and extremely slow to bolt, making it an excellent choice. 45 days.
	'Salad Bowl', an excellent variety for home gardens. Loose-leaf, flavorful, tender medium green, deeply notched, frilled leaves are tasty in salads. 45 days to reach maturity.
	'Red Sails', an All-American Selections Winner. A truly superior loose leaf lettuce. It is long standing with red and light green rumpled leaves. A truly attractive as well a nutritious addition to any salad. Approx. 45 days to maturity.
	'Simpson Elite', extremely slow bolting, producing attractive neon green, loose heads with broad, crumpled, curled edged leaves. The flavor is delicate and almost never bitter, even later in the season. A great choice for summer-long production.
	'New Red Fire', a spectacular, tight and compact, dark red leaved lettuce. Slow to bolt and good flavour, growing well in both warm and cooler conditions.
	'Tom Thumb', a miniature butterhead lettuce which produces heads about the size of a baseball, ideal for individual salads. Dark green somewhat fleshy outer leaves wrap around a creamy yellow mild-flavored interior. An excellent summer lettuce as it tolerates high temperatures at maturity and resists bolting better than larger varieties. An outstanding choice for home gardeners and specialty market growers.

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Site launched January 1, 2000.
Site updated September 1, 2007.