Plant Winter lettuce into a sheltered sunny area with good drainage, so the plants are not waterlogged. Winter lettuce can be sown from August to November, in shallow rows, and it is good so sow/or plant out fortnightly for a continuous crop. If cold weather is forecast, cloche the small plants.
What temperature is too cold for 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. That level of cold causes ice to form in the plant tissue, regardless of the amount of moisture in the air.
Can you grow lettuce inside in the winter?
For most of us, that’s a pleasure reserved for spring through fall. However, salad lovers can grow lettuce indoors, all winter long. Depending upon available sunlight, even urban gardeners can raise a steady supply of your favorite greens on a windowsill or beneath grow lights.
What does winter lettuce look like?
Among them are oakleaf lettuces, icebergs, romaine, leaf lettuces, Bibbs, and butterheads. Lettuce comes in colors of light green, blue-green, red, deep purple, dark green; even mottled colors are always a welcome sight in the winter garden.
Which lettuce is best for winter?
A. Hi Joan, the best cold hardy winter lettuce varieties are Cos, Tom Thumb, Little Gem, Lamb’s Ear lettuce, Corn Salad, loose leaf varieties such as oak leaf green and red, mesclun winter greens, there is a hearting variety called Imperial Triumph that is cold tolerant.
Does lettuce need a lot of water?
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.
Can lettuce seeds survive frost?
Lettuce seedlings will generally tolerate a light frost and, unlike most vegetables, continue to grow through the fall when the possibility is a probability in some regions. That said, cold, clear nights may create frost damage in lettuce, especially if the duration of the cold snap is lengthy.
What is the best way to grow lettuce indoors?
To grow lettuce indoors, start by filling a pot with a seed starting soil mix to ensure good drainage. Then, plant 4 seeds 1 inch apart, sprinkle them with potting soil, and gently mist them with water from a spray bottle. Next, place the pot near a sunny window and keep the temperature around it at 65 to 70 degrees F.
How late can I plant lettuce?
If you are buying transplants (small plants) from a garden center or nursery, you may plant between 2 weeks before your last spring frost to 2 weeks after your last spring frost. In most regions, it’s possible to plant another crop of lettuce in the fall or even early winter.
How long does it take for lettuce to grow?
How Long Does It Take Lettuce to Grow? Lettuce grows fairly quickly. Leaf varieties reach maturity in 30 days but can be harvested as soon as they reach the desired size. Other types of lettuce require 6 to 8 weeks to reach full harvest size.
How long does it take to grow lettuce in winter?
You should be able to start taking your first pickings within three or four weeks, removing just one or two leaves from each plant at a time. Growth will slow right down during the coldest months and then pick up again at the end of winter when light levels improve.
Can I grow lettuce all year round?
Salad can be grown all year round in a heated greenhouse, but this is rarely economical. A sunny windowsill or conservatory can be successful, provided it does not get too hot. In unheated growing conditions, sowing can begin as soon as light levels and temperatures allow, producing crops from late spring to autumn.
Can I plant lettuce in December?
Considering the vegetables that you can plant in November and December, lettuce is the vegetable that can truly be grown anywhere there is light, soil and water.
Can I grow salad leaves in winter?
Most winter salad leaves can grow outside in mild or temperate climates, but you’ll get more leaves if you can offer some protection from the weather, for example by growing salad leaves in a glass or plastic greenhouse, or under row covers. So here’s our pick of the hardiest and most reliable winter salad leaves.
What is the hardiest lettuce to grow?
Heat-tolerant lettuces:
- ‘Black Seeded Simpson’ (Leaf Lettuce)
- ‘Great Lakes 118’ (Crisphead)
- ‘Ice Queen (Reine des Glaces)’ (Summer Crisp)
- ‘Little Gem’ (Romaine)
- ‘Marvel of Four Season’ (Butterhead)
- ‘New Red Fire’ (Leaf Lettuce)
- ‘Parris Island’ Cos (Romaine)
- ‘Red Sails (Leaf Lettuce)
What type of lettuce is cut and come again?
They are often called cut-and-come-again lettuces. Cutting lettuces are mostly nonheading leaf varieties from two groups, Grand Rapids and oakleaf. The Grand Rapids group produces broad, crinkled, and frilly leaves, while the oakleaf varieties have flatter and distinctively lobed leaves.
What is the best month to plant lettuce?
Lettuce seeds germinate best in the cooler temperatures of spring or fall. If it’s too hot, they won’t germinate. So, the best time to plant lettuce seeds is as soon as the ground is workable in very early spring, or once the temps start to cool down in late summer or early fall.
Does lettuce regrow 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.
What is the best fertilizer for lettuce?
8 Best Fertilizers for Lettuce in 2022
- Dr.
- Down to Earth Organic Vegan Fertilizer Mix.
- Jobe’s Organics All Purpose Granular Fertilizer.
- Neptune’s Harvest Organic Hydrolized Fish & Seaweed Fertilizer.
- Miracle-Gro Shake ‘N Feed All Purpose Plant Food.
- Burpee Natural Organic All Purpose Granular Plant Food.
Do I need to cover lettuce for frost?
Even these cold-hardy greens will need some extra protection if frequently exposed to temperatures in the low 20s and teens. You can protect your cool season crops (including lettuce, which is more easily injured than other greens), by throwing a blanket or row cover over the plants.
Do I need to cover lettuce plants?
Prevention is the best cure, so cover lettuces with insect-proof mesh (such as Enviromesh) from June until August, as this will prevent aphids getting to the roots. Some lettuces are resistant to root aphids.