Lettuce greens are a cool-season crop and do best in the
spring and fall here in the Mid-Atlantic United States. When the summer heat
moves in, the plants bolt and send up a flower shoot that produces seeds. You
can collect these seeds to plant the next season. Note that lettuce seed must by fresh in order for it to
have good germination.
The seeds are tiny and can be planted directly into the
garden soil or in a shallow container. Cover them with a fine layer of soil and
water in well. Lettuce prefers rich garden soil and does not need fertilizers.
For continual harvests, you can sow additional rows of lettuce seeds every week
or two.
When the plants are several inches high, use a clean pair of
kitchen shears to cut off the largest leaves down to an inch or so above the
root crown. Harvest only as much as you will consume right away. In a few
weeks, these lettuces will grow back up again and you will be able to come back
for another round of cutting. Depending on the length of your growing season,
you can usually get at least 3 or 4 rounds of cut greens from the plants.
Slugs and rabbits love tender lettuce leaves as do many
other garden pests. You can protect your lettuce seedlings with a wire cage or
a cover cloth. The cloth can also act to shade the tender leaves as the weather
heats up in late spring and insulates the plants when the autumn frosts move
in.
Cutting Lettuce: You Can Grow That!
The video was produced
by Washington Gardener Magazine.
Audio and Text by Kathy Jentz
Video and Editing by Melinda Thompson
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