All About Growing Lettuce

By Barbara Pleasant
Published on February 25, 2008
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Lettuce leaf color and texture vary with variety, but all types of lettuce grow best when the soil is kept constantly moist.
Lettuce leaf color and texture vary with variety, but all types of lettuce grow best when the soil is kept constantly moist.
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Fast-growing loose-leaf lettuce comes in a range of colors and leaf types, such as oakleaf.
Fast-growing loose-leaf lettuce comes in a range of colors and leaf types, such as oakleaf.

(For details on growing many other vegetables and fruits, visit our Crop at a Glance collection page.)

From baby leaf lettuce to big, crisp heads, growing lettuce is easy in spring and fall, when the soil is cool. Leaf color and texture vary with variety. All types of lettuce grow best when the soil is kept constantly moist, and outside temperatures range between 45 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Types of Lettuce to Try

Loose-leaf varieties grow tender leaves in dense rosettes, but seldom form crisp inner heads. Some loose-leaf lettuce varieties have superior heat tolerance.

Butterheads and bibb types quickly form small heads of leaves with stout, crunchy ribs. Some varieties have superior cold tolerance.


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