I've been growing lettuce with vary degrees of success for awhile now. I've finally figured out a few things by trial-and-error so I'm passing them them on. Some will be nakedly obvious for experienced gardeners, but some of it was "oh, cool, that works well."
1. Do NOT let your lettuce do this. (See left)
This is called letting your lettuce "go to seed." This happens when you don't harvest your lettuce fast enough and the weather gets warm very quickly. Lettuce is basically a grass that blooms. Unfortunately, all those lovely leaves at the bottom were left on the plant far too long and turned hideously bitter and inedible. You know it's bad when even the birds won't eat it.
2. Lettuce does not like hot weather. A morning watering is essential. Do not sleep in if you want lettuce. One morning I enjoyed a lazy morning/early afternoon, waited till the sun was high and the lettuce got very, very sad. And they do not recover well.
3. Extend a single head of lettuce: Starfish Method
Named because when you cut the arm off a starfish, a new one grows in its place. In this system, keep pulling leaves from the side of the plant and then eventually cut the plant down. A little baby lettuce will grow in its place.
1. Do NOT let your lettuce do this. (See left)
This is called letting your lettuce "go to seed." This happens when you don't harvest your lettuce fast enough and the weather gets warm very quickly. Lettuce is basically a grass that blooms. Unfortunately, all those lovely leaves at the bottom were left on the plant far too long and turned hideously bitter and inedible. You know it's bad when even the birds won't eat it.
2. Lettuce does not like hot weather. A morning watering is essential. Do not sleep in if you want lettuce. One morning I enjoyed a lazy morning/early afternoon, waited till the sun was high and the lettuce got very, very sad. And they do not recover well.
3. Extend a single head of lettuce: Starfish Method
Named because when you cut the arm off a starfish, a new one grows in its place. In this system, keep pulling leaves from the side of the plant and then eventually cut the plant down. A little baby lettuce will grow in its place.
4. 3 crops from 1 starter: Tree Trunk Method
If you cut a tree down and don't ground out the stump and roots, new trees will start sprouting out. Lettuce woks the same way. The first crop is the starter that you let it grow into a full head. Then, instead of pulling it out, cut it down as close as possible to the stump. Roly-poly bugs will inevitably nibble a bit at the stump, but then the sweetest little baby lettuce "trees" will grow in the stump. Repeat, but do not let the lettuce go to seed (See #1). After re-growth #3, you're at diminishing returns. Not worth the 'micro-greens.'
If you cut a tree down and don't ground out the stump and roots, new trees will start sprouting out. Lettuce woks the same way. The first crop is the starter that you let it grow into a full head. Then, instead of pulling it out, cut it down as close as possible to the stump. Roly-poly bugs will inevitably nibble a bit at the stump, but then the sweetest little baby lettuce "trees" will grow in the stump. Repeat, but do not let the lettuce go to seed (See #1). After re-growth #3, you're at diminishing returns. Not worth the 'micro-greens.'
Tonight's dinner salad, with season's 1st cuke.
I haven't had to buy lettuce since April, and I even gave two heads away. Fresh, early picked lettuce is best, even if the leaves are on the small side. The bigger the leaves get, they get tougher and slowly more bitter.
Eat Well. Be Well.
Eat Well. Be Well.
