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Discover the versatility of lettuce! From head to leaf, this nutrient-dense leafy green is a perfect addition to any salad, and it’s easier to grow than you think – both in the garden and indoors!
Types of Lettuce
There are so many varieties of lettuce to choose from; and, just like all vegetables and fruits, different cultivars offer different nutrient profiles, so it’s super beneficial to mix it up! You may already have your favorites but why not check out some other types – not only will that broaden the range of health benefits available to you but you may even find a new favorite.
There are several distinct categories of lettuce with many sub-types within each category. “Lettuce” review.
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Head Lettuce: Head lettuces includes varieties belonging to the Crisphead lettuce group (e.g., iceberg) and Butterhead group which is sweet and tender (e.g., Bibb, Butter, and Boston varieties). Head lettuces are the most similar to cabbage in that they are tighter-formed heads that are bright green.
Romaine (sometimes called cos): This is a variety of lettuce that grows in tall heads that have sturdy sweeter leaves with firm white ribs. Romaine lettuce originated in Italy, specifically Rome (hence the name!). It’s grown widely, in part because of its heat tolerance (most leafy greens grow poorly in heat, so they are cultivated only in early spring and late fall). This lettuce variety not only works in salads but can be used as a shell replacement, so try it with taco meat or to wrap a burger!
Leaf Lettuce (also called loose-leaf lettuce): This group includes red, green, and oakleaf lettuce. This type of lettuce has loosely bunched leaves with each leaf branching from a single stalk; as such leaf lettuce is generally more perishable than head varieties.
And, of course, a few leafy vegetables look and taste similar to lettuce and are delightful tossed in a salad, but actually belong to different genera, including: endive (including Belgium, frisée and escarole, all variants of Chicorium endivia), mizuna (Brassica rapa), and radicchio (Chicorium intybus)!
With the multitude of lettuce varieties available, offering a wide range of textures, colors and flavors, you’re sure to find one (or more) that suits your tastes!
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Getting Started
Growing lettuce at home—whether planted in a vegetable garden, container, raised bed, or window box—is relatively easy and inexpensive. Lettuce is a hardy annual cool season crop that will grow best in spring and fall. Most varieties of lettuce plants thrive in cool weather at temperatures of 61 to 64 °F (16 to 18 °C). At higher temperatures (above 75°F/24°C) the lettuce will start to bolt (flower) but this process can be delayed if plants are provided with partial shade during the hottest part of the day (e.g., use of a shade cloth). Bolting causes the lettuce to become bitter and is irreversible. Fun fact: the bitter flavor comes from a dramatic increase in lactucarium, which is a phytonutrient known to provide a sense of euphoria and promote restful sleep. That means eating lettuce just before or after it bolts will have a much stronger sedating effect!
You can sow seeds directly into your home garden as soon as soil is ready in spring or you can start growing earlier indoors and then transplant to your garden as soon as the ground has thawed since lettuce prefers moist, cool conditions. Seed germination is best when soil temperature is between 55 and 65°F (13-18 °C), but anything over 40°F (5 °C) works.
To start seeds indoors use a flat with excellent drainage and fill with rich soil. Plant seeds 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep and try to get 4 to 5 inches between each seed. Cover the flat with plastic wrap until shoots start appearing. Mist with a spray bottle to keep soil moist. Transplant when lettuce seedlings have one set of leaves, making sure to be cautious with shallow roots. To do this, dig a small hole in the garden bed (or wherever you are transplanting to), add some rich compost and then dribble water until the hole is mucky. Hold the young plant with its leaves above the soil level and roots in the hole and gently firm the soil around the seedling.
Where Best to Plant
Lettuce grows best in full sun in loose, nitrogen-rich soils with a pH between 6.0 and 6.8. Lettuce seeds are small so it’s best to sprinkle them on top of soil and then cover lightly with a thin layer of dirt, making sure to avoid planting too deeply as they require sunlight to germinate. Lettuce requires 1 to 2 inches of water per week. Plants should be spaced 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) apart to give them lots of room to mature. Lettuce spaced farther apart receives more sunlight, which improves color and nutrient quantities in the leaves. Since lettuce also grows well in a little bit of shade, it is a great option for planting between taller crops, likes tomatoes or beans, which will help maximize space in smaller gardens.
Depending on the variety, lettuce matures anywhere from 35 to 85 days. With some varieties you can start eating smaller outside leaves in as little as 3 weeks! The trick for rapid growth is watering lightly and often and giving each plant sufficient space to grow. When planting your garden, try growing varieties of lettuce with different maturity times so you you can extend your growing season and continually harvest lettuce all season long. Alternatively, if you’re set one particular variety, plant new batches every 10 to 14 days for a continuous harvest. If you’re a beginner, loose leaf is the easiest variety to grow.
You can even grow lettuce indoors year-round on a sunny window sill! Choose a spot that gets 12 hours of bright light each day (think south facing window) but if you don’t have that option you can grow under grow lights instead. Make sure your chosen spot is away from active heat and cold sources. Plant lettuce in flat, fairly shallow container with good drainage or 4” to 6” plastic pots with planting mix made for seed starting. Loose leaf varieties will work best. Moisten the soil, add about 3 to 4” to your container, scatter seeds on top, about 1 inch apart, and lightly cover with a thin layer of planting mix. Place on a tray to collect excess water and cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clear lid until sprouts appear. At that point, thin seedlings so they are an inch apart and keep moist but don’t over-water. In about 3 to 4 weeks the lettuce will be ready to harvest!
If you’re feeling especially adventurous, you can even try re-growing lettuce from kitchen scraps, albeit in small quantities. This works best with romaine hearts but is possible with any type of mature leaf or head lettuce. First off, slice the leaves from the stem, leaving about 2 inches of the base intact. Remove any leafy portions remaining without cutting into the stem. Place the stem in a bowl or jar with the side where the leaves were removed facing up. You can stick in toothpicks to create a little tripod stand to stabilize if you’d like. Add water to the container reaching about halfway up the stem of the plant. Place the container on a sunny windowsill or under grow lights so that it gets a few hours of light each day. Change the water every other day. Within a day or two hopefully you will see little baby green leaf shoots beginning to grow. If nothing happens after a week, try again the next time you have some scraps. Harvest whatever is available after 10 to 12 days since full heads will not grow.
In addition, lettuce can also be grown hydroponically and is one of the most popular crops grown in this manner. This opens up the possibility of having fresh lettuce even during the hottest days of late summer and all year round!
Pests & Diseases
Pests affecting lettuce plants include aphids, slugs, snails, and cutworms. Common diseases affecting lettuce include downy mildew, powdery mildew, leaf spot, and lettuce mosaic virus.
Harvest Time
When is it time to harvest? For leaf lettuce, harvest the outer leaves when they reach the desired size; this will encourage the inner leaves to continue growing. Leaves can be harvested with scissors or a sharp knife. Iceberg lettuce can be pulled or heads can be cut and should be harvested when the head of lettuce forms a tight ball and the outer leaves are pale green. For other head lettuces, harvest when they’ve reached a suitable size as they will become bitter if too mature (again, you can use this fact if maximizing lactucarium and restful sleep is your goal!). Romaine lettuce can also be harvested by removing outer leaves or you can wait until the head is fully formed and cut the plant above the base with scissors or pruners. This will encourage regrowth and further leaf development – the same works for leaf lettuces if you want to harvest the whole plant.
No matter how you grow it, it’s worth the effort since nothing beats a big salad bowl full of freshly picked lettuce straight from the garden! But, if gardening isn’t your thing, you can always purchase widely available pre-packaged lettuce mixes à la ‘salad in a bag,’ such as mesclun (or spring mix) which includes an assortment of small young salad greens of different varieties. Either way, ‘lettuce’ enjoy this nutrient-dense leafy green!
Grow Your Own Garden
If you’re looking for help on how to grow other foods check out these posts!
