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How Close Can You Plant Iceberg Lettuce?

Loose-leaf lettuce: Plant or thin to 4 inches apart. Romaine (cos) and butterhead (loose-head, Bibb, Boston) lettuce: Plant or thin to 8 inches apart. Crisphead (iceberg) lettuce: Plant or thin to 16 inches apart.

Can you plant lettuce close together?

Generally, you should space plants far enough apart so that they can grow to full size. However, many gardeners plant lettuce much closer together, preferring to harvest leaves continuously before they reach full size. The plants adapt to their spacing.

How far apart do I need to plant lettuce?

Space your rows 12 to 18 inches apart. Thin leaf lettuce seedlings to 4 inches apart. Romaine and butterhead lettuce seedlings require 6 to 8 inches between each plant.

How much space should be between rows of lettuce?

For head lettuce, rows 30 to 42 inches apart are common. Regardless of the row width, the in-row spacing between each head lettuce plant should be 12 inches. If 42-inch rows are used, yield can be increased by planting 2 seed rows per bed.

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What should you not plant beside lettuce?

Try to avoid growing lettuce next to broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, or kohlrabi—while some varieties of lettuce may help these cabbage-family (brassicas) crops to grow, these plants have particular root secretions that can prevent lettuce seeds from germinating.

Can I plant lettuce next to tomatoes?

You can of course also plant lettuce and tomatoes together in the open field. The lettuce really thrives under the tomato greens where the soil doesn’t dry out as easily. The fertilized soil I’m using for the tomato plants benefits the lettuce too.

How long does it take to grow iceberg lettuce?

Crisphead varieties (which includes the ubiquitous Icebergs) take about ten to twelve weeks to mature, and should be harvested roots and all. Butterheads are similar to crispies, only smaller. They take about nine – ten weeks to be ready for eating.

Does iceberg lettuce need full sun?

Space plants 12″ apart with 18″ between rows. Lettuce grows best in full sun, though excessive heat can cause plants to bolt to seed, or leaves to wilt. For an early start, seeds can be started in flats 4 weeks prior to the last frost and transplanted outdoors in mid to late spring.

Will lettuce grow back after cutting?

Head lettuce will die back, but most leaf-lettuce plants renew efforts to produce leaves, if regularly watered after trimming. Results will often be smaller than the original plant, but you may be able to harvest a second, good-tasting crop within as little as two weeks.

How often should lettuce be watered?

Lettuce has shallow roots, so plants need consistent watering. Check at least twice a week and water if the soil is dry down to 1 inch deep. Containers of lettuce need to be watered more frequently than garden beds, especially in the summer.

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What temp kills lettuce?

Lettuce may cope with light freezing and even one or two hard freezes, but once the thermometer reads 25°F or below, the plants are in danger.

Can you grow iceberg lettuce from the stump?

The simple answer is yes, and regrowing lettuce in water is a super simple experiment. I say experiment because regrowing lettuce in water will not get you enough lettuce to make a salad, but it is a really cool project– something to do in the dead of winter or a fun project with the kids.

Why is my lettuce growing so tall?

ANSWER: Lettuce plants that suddenly start stretching toward the sky and growing extra tall are likely to be bolting. In the bolting stage, a plant stops focusing so much on producing foliage and starts to turn its attention toward reproduction, sending out a flower stalk that will eventually dry to release seeds.

Do lettuce plants keep producing?

Lettuce plants will continue to produce new leaves until the plant begins to flower and make new seeds. When mature plants begin to set lettuce seed like this it is called “bolting” in gardening circles. When you see this happening — a sturdy seed stalk will emerge from the center of the plant — stop harvesting.

What should I plant between lettuce?

Good Companions for Lettuce are beets, broccoli, bush and pole beans, carrots, cucumbers, dill, onion, radish and strawberries. Beets are prized for adding minerals to the soil.

Can you plant lettuce in the same place every year?

The principle is straightforward enough – the same vegetables should not be planted in the same place year after year. As a system of organic gardening, crop rotation has many advantages: It lessens the need for pest control. You reduce the spread of soil-borne disease.

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Can lettuce and cucumbers be planted together?

Lettuce, as a companion plant is good next to strawberries, radishes, carrots, and you guessed it, cucumbers. Again, for no special reasons, other than the fact that they do not dislike each other. For beneficial companion plants, that is reason enough.

Why should you not plant cucumbers near tomatoes?

Both tomatoes and cucumbers do not grow well when planted near potatoes as they crave the same nutrients and compete for them. Also, they may be susceptible to similar diseases. For example, the cucumber mosaic virus attacks both cucumbers and tomatoes causing a significant reduction in fruit production.

Can peppers and lettuce be planted together?

Spinach, lettuce, and chard are suitable pepper companions. They help crowd out weeds and due to their short stature and rapid maturation, are a great way to maximize garden space and get in an additional crop.

What should you not plant by tomatoes?

Companion Plants To Avoid Growing Near Tomatoes

  1. Brassicas. Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi can stunt the growth of your tomato plant because they out-compete them for the same nutrients.
  2. Corn.
  3. Fennel.
  4. Dill.
  5. Potatoes.
  6. Eggplant.
  7. Walnuts.

Is iceberg lettuce hard to grow?

Compared to Cut-and-Come-Again leaves, iceberg lettuce is trickier to grow. It bolts quite easily if you leave it too long. The plants are also easily affected by wind or cold, or too much or too little water. Finding a sheltered spot will help a lot with this.

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