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Growing Lettuce in Containers

Gardening Guide: Leafy Lettuce

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Growing Lettuce in Containers

By Norann Oleson

Lettuce growing in gardening pot

Lettuce growing in gardening pot

Lettuce is a great candidate for container gardening. You have more control over the temperature and sunlight that the plants get, and containers growing lettuce should be fairly easy to move around. If you have grow lights, you can pretty much grow lettuce year-round inside.

The secret to successfully growing lettuce in containers is to have good light, a comfortable temperature, healthy soil, consistent water, and good drainage. Hit all those targets and your container-grown lettuce will be serving up salad in no time!

Light

Lettuce needs six to eight hours of sunlight each day to flourish—but not blazing hot sun. Most lettuce varieties are not heat-tolerant. Whether you have your containers inside or out, make sure your lettuce plants have some shade during the heat of the day; they’ll grow better that way.

It’s a good idea to map out the sunlight you get in different areas where you plan to put containers. That way you can figure out if you need to provide shade for your lettuce plants—natural or artificial. If you’re growing tomatoes, too, they can offer a little shade to your lettuce if you arrange your containers to throw a little shade in the right direction.

Water

Keep your lettuce’s soil moist, but not soggy. In general, plan to water your lettuce about once a week. Make sure the container your lettuce is growing in has adequate drainage, so the roots are never standing in water. Check the soil’s moisture level periodically. You can use something as basic as a pencil to poke down into the soil to see where the moisture is.

Containers dry out more quickly than raised beds or open garden plots, so get into the habit of checking your lettuce once every day or two to make sure it’s not drying out.

Soil

For happy, healthy lettuce, use a commercial soil mix developed for vegetables. Some gardeners prefer to use soil from their garden, but that can introduce any number of pathogens to your lettuce. If you’re going to go to the effort to grow your lettuce in containers, do yourself a favor and start with fresh soil.

Have you grown lettuce in containers? Where do you put your containers? Do you grow your lettuce indoors as well? Please tell us about your successes and challenges growing lettuce in containers.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • Curator’s Corner
  • Introduction
  • Feature Articles

  • Types of Lettuce
  • Growing Lettuce from Seeds, Seedlings, or Cuttings
  • Sun and Soil Requirements for Growing Lettuce
  • Planting Lettuce in the Ground
  • Growing Lettuce in Containers
  • Watering, Weeding and Fertilizing your Lettuce Plants
  • Harvesting your Lettuce
  • Dealing with Lettuce Diseases
  • Dealing with Lettuce Pests
  • Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing and Enjoying Lettuce
  • Plant Profiles

  • Red Salad Bowl Lettuce (Leaf)
  • Slobolt Lettuce (Leaf)
  • Ice Queen Lettuce (Crisphead/Iceberg)
  • Red Iceberg Lettuce (Crisphead/Iceberg)
  • Vivian Lettuce (Romaine/Cos)
  • Cimmaron Lettuce (Romaine/Cos)
  • Buttercrunch Lettuce (Butterhead)
  • Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce (Butterhead)
  • Recipes

  • Light & Lovely Lettuce Soup
  • BLT Boat
  • Grilled Garden Romaine
  • Garlic Garden Lettuce Stir Fry
  • 3 Lettuce Cup Recipes
  • Additional Articles

  • Nutrition Facts about Lettuce
  • Home Remedies and Health Benefits of Lettuce
  • Resources about Lettuce
  • Lettuce Glossary
  • Related Articles

  • 5 of the Best Plants for Aeroponic Vegetable Gardens
  • How to Store Leafy Greens and Other Produce Without Plastic
  • How to Stop Lettuce Downy Mildew for Good
  • How Does Lettuce Get E. coli and How to Prevent it in a Home Garden
  • 17 Quick Growing Vegetables For Restless Gardeners
  • Easy Container Gardening for Beginners: How to Grow Your Own Salads
  • 10 Benefits of Growing Lettuce in Pots
  • Different Types of Lettuce by Flavor

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