Leafy Lettuce

Please check out the brief video above, to learn what this premium gardening guide is all about—the video will give you a glimpse into all the content in this gardening guide, including history and background, planting tips, specific plant profiles, recipes, nutrition and health information, and resources to help you be the best food gardener you can be.

Curator’s Corner

Let us celebrate the delicious, leafy world of lettuce! Lettuce isn’t native to North America, but it’s certainly made itself at home here. The United States is the second largest lettuce producer worldwide, surpassed only by China, which keeps most of its crop… READ MORE

Introduction

Ah, lovely lettuce. Light and fresh in salads; on burgers; in sandwiches and tacos. It’s the food you eat before you eat—so you don’t fill up too much. It’s one of the most ever-present components of dinner. For many people, a big salad topped with some… READ MORE

Features

Types of Lettuce

When you go to the grocery store, you’re likely to find basic representatives of the various types of lettuce varieties: iceberg, Romaine, bibb, leaf. Hit up a farmer’s market, and suddenly your choices have expanded within each of those categories—who knew there were so many types of lettuce? READ MORE

Gardener planting lettuce seedling in ground

Growing Lettuce from Seeds, Seedlings, or Cuttings

Can you grow lettuce from seed? Yes. Should you? Yes. Lettuce is a shallow-rooted plant, and it can be a little fussy come transplant time. That being said, you can still start seeds indoors and transplant your seedlings after the last hard frost. Just be very gentle with them and be prepared to lose a few in the transplanting process. READ MORE

Sun and Soil Requirements for Growing Lettuce

Lettuce loves sunshine and some partial shade when it’s hot. Lettuce likes well-draining soil that won’t leave its roots soggy. The soil should also be cool, loose, and at a pH between 6.0 and 7.0; for many varieties, you’ll see a narrower requirement of 6.2 to 6.8. READ MORE