Great Lettuce Growing Tips

By Roger Doiron
Published on February 18, 2010
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‘Giant Caesar’ is a crisp romaine that will live up to its name in a delicious Caesar salad.
‘Giant Caesar’ is a crisp romaine that will live up to its name in a delicious Caesar salad.
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Good greens make great salad. If you’re growing lettuce this year, follow our easy gardening advice and you’ll have salads galore!
Good greens make great salad. If you’re growing lettuce this year, follow our easy gardening advice and you’ll have salads galore!
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Your lettuce growing efforts need not be confined to produce-aisle mainstays. Try a delicious butterhead variety such as ‘Garden Babies.’
Your lettuce growing efforts need not be confined to produce-aisle mainstays. Try a delicious butterhead variety such as ‘Garden Babies.’
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This gorgeous loose-leaf variety, ‘Red Sails,’ is sure to add color to your garden and your salad bowl.
This gorgeous loose-leaf variety, ‘Red Sails,’ is sure to add color to your garden and your salad bowl.
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There are multiple options within every lettuce type. ‘Freckles’ is an attractive, unique variety in the romaine group.
There are multiple options within every lettuce type. ‘Freckles’ is an attractive, unique variety in the romaine group.
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Some “cut and come again” varieties, such as ‘Oak Leaf,’ grow red and green leaves.
Some “cut and come again” varieties, such as ‘Oak Leaf,’ grow red and green leaves.
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It works well to plant short rows of lettuce every couple of weeks so you’ll always have some ready to harvest.
It works well to plant short rows of lettuce every couple of weeks so you’ll always have some ready to harvest.
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Grow a mix of lettuces and other greens for maximum flavor and color in your spring salads.
Grow a mix of lettuces and other greens for maximum flavor and color in your spring salads.
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Do you have an abundance of greens ready? Harvest your head lettuce before it bolts, and it will keep nicely in the fridge for several weeks.
Do you have an abundance of greens ready? Harvest your head lettuce before it bolts, and it will keep nicely in the fridge for several weeks.
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Cut loose-leaf lettuce 1 inch above the soil, then come back for more in a few weeks!
Cut loose-leaf lettuce 1 inch above the soil, then come back for more in a few weeks!
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No salad spinner? Try the human salad spinner technique described in the article to quickly remove water from freshly washed lettuce.
No salad spinner? Try the human salad spinner technique described in the article to quickly remove water from freshly washed lettuce.

Imagine that extraterrestrials have invaded and commandeered earthlings’ home gardens in order to produce energy for their fleet of veggie-powered flying saucers. Armed with hoes and digging forks and with determination in their eyes, gardeners take to the streets. To quell the insurrection, the aliens announce they will allow gardeners to grow one vegetable for their own consumption. Which crop would you choose? For me, the choice would be as easy as this scenario is far-fetched: lettuce.

You could make a good case for growing other things instead: a highly caloric crop such as potatoes, a more flavorful one such as tomatoes, or a better keeper such as carrots. I recommend growing lettuce because it’s easy, reliable, requires little space, and enjoys a long growing season, allowing for multiple and continuous harvests. Lettuce is also one of the best vegetables to grow because it offers a nice mix of nutrients in a compact package, including iron, folate, and vitamins A and C. It’s for all these reasons that new gardeners should choose lettuce as their first step in their journey to delicious, homegrown self-reliance. We’ve compiled some proven lettuce growing tips to get you started. For a chart with lettuce variety details, see Great Lettuce Varieties. 

Lettuce Types

While “iceberg” is the bland poster child for store-bought lettuce, it’s part of a larger, diverse, and better-looking family than people realize. Gardeners can choose from hundreds of varieties, all falling into six types. (See “Six Lettuce Types: Which Ones Will You Try?” below.)

For beginners, I recommend starting with loose-leaf lettuce varieties, also known as “cut and come again” lettuces (meaning you can cut a harvest, then harvest again in a few weeks). These varieties are not only the easiest to grow, but they come in many seed mixes, offering a balance of colors, textures, and flavors.

To add some extra color and zing to your salad bowl, I suggest planting a row of spicy mesclun mix for every row of lettuce you grow. Most seed companies offer mesclun mixes of arugulas, kales, and mustard greens, which, with the addition of some cheese, chopped walnuts, and a couple of edible flowers, can turn a ho-hum salad side dish into a memorable main course.

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