Cold temperatures regularly below 45-50°F also makes lettuce grow more slowly. Therefore, plan to protect lettuce from frost when possible, especially tender young seedlings. One option is to shelter them with hoops and frost cover. Cut off frost-damaged leaves to make way for fresh healthy regrowth.
How do you protect lettuce from a cold?
Your goal is to keep the soil warm, and keep it from freezing for as long as possible. Cover the lettuce patch with a two- to three-inch layer of organic material. Place it over the bare soil and up to about an inch from the main stems or loose leaves.
Should I cover my lettuce plants?
Lettuce is tolerant of cold temperatures for short periods of time, although growth will slow down. To protect lettuce in frost-prone areas, plant romaine or butterhead lettuce, which are the most cold-tolerant. When frost is predicted, cover the garden with sheets or towels to provide some protection.
What bugs are eating my lettuce?
Key to Lettuce Pests. Caterpillars attacking the fall crop are usually the most troublesome field pests of lettuce. In the greenhouse, aphid and cabbage looper infestations often give problems. Cutworms, whiteflies, leafminers, and slugs are slightly less important greenhouse pests.
Can lettuce plants survive frost?
Lettuce is considered “hard frost hardy,” which means it can withstand frosts below 28 degrees. If the frost continues unabated, however, the cell walls may form ice, and the plant actually freezes. Freezing is irreversible and will kill a lettuce plant.
What temps can lettuce tolerate?
Lettuce is adapted to cool growing conditions with the optimum temperatures for growth of 60 to 65°F. At 70 to 80°F, the plants flower and produce seed. Lettuce can tolerate a few days of temperatures from 80 to 85°F, provided that nights are cool.
Why do farmers spray water before a freeze?
Cold weather prep for plants in winter
Drought-stressed plants are more susceptible to cold damage, so watering plants a few days in advance of a cold snap is beneficial. Watering just before the freeze can help too by creating warmth, and the water loses its heat slowly over the hours into the colder temperatures.
What temperature is too hot for lettuce?
Lettuce is a cool-season vegetable, meaning it grows best in temperatures around 60 – 65°F. Once temperatures rise above 80°F, lettuce will normally start to “bolt” or stop leaf production and send up a stalk to flower and produce seed. The leaves become bitter at this stage.
How long can you leave plants covered?
Don’t keep the coverings on your plants for more than two days in a row without removing them in the day since this can cause water to become trapped underneath, leading to fungal diseases and can cause plants to produce new growth that can be easily damaged by cold.
Will frost damage lettuce?
Lettuce is mostly tolerant of temperatures near freezing for a short period of time, though plants will grow more slowly. Freeze damaged leaves that are not removed from heads may break down, decay, and cause post harvest issues.
What do you spray on lettuce to keep bugs away?
Neem oil made from neem tree seeds is a natural pesticide that kills pests when sprayed on the various types of lettuce plants. You can spray neem oil on lettuce leaves to get rid of these pesky bugs.
What can I put on my lettuce to keep the bugs from eating it?
Lettuce Insecticides or Chemical Control
Bacillus thuringiensis is a natural soil bacterium, which can aid in the eradication of caterpillars. Spinosad is used to control the Lepidopteran larvae and leaf miners. Its use over years; however, has resulted in resistance in some insects species.
What can I spray on my lettuce for bugs?
Soap spray – add two tablespoons of soap flakes to one litre of water and stir thoroughly until completely dissolved. There is no need to dilute this further, just spray it on as is. This controls aphids, caterpillars.
How do you grow lettuce outside in the winter?
Growing lettuce in winter is easier than you think! The key is to select frost-tolerant varieties and pair them with a season extender like a cold frame, mini hoop tunnel, or polytunnel.
What is the most cold hardy lettuce?
I’ve seen some small unprotected lettuces survive down to 5F (-15C) – Winter Marvel, Tango, North Pole, Green Forest. Other particularly cold-hardy lettuce varieties include Brune d’Hiver, Cocarde, Esmeralda (a bibb), Lollo Rossa, North Pole (bibb), Outredgeous, Rossimo, Sunfire and Vulcan.
Does lettuce need full sun?
How much sun does lettuce need to grow? Most lettuce varieties enjoy full sunlight. For the best turnout, make sure you plant your lettuce in an area that receives approximately 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight each day. Some varieties can also be grown in partial shade, receiving 4 to 6 hours a day.
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.
How do you make lettuce grow bigger?
Lettuce grows best in loose, cool soil with good drainage. The addition of organic materials, such as compost or manure, will increase drainage, provide essential nutrients and improve your lettuce growing conditions. If you’ve had trouble with lettuce growth, consider purchasing a soil test kit.
What month do you 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.
What is the best thing to cover plants with during a freeze?
Cover Plants – Protect plants from all but the hardest freeze (28°F for five hours) by covering them with sheets, towels, blankets, cardboard or a tarp. You can also invert baskets, coolers or any container with a solid bottom over plants. Cover plants before dark to trap warmer air.
What plants need to be covered during a freeze?
Frost sensitive vegetables (aka warm weather vegetables) that will need to be protected from frost include plants like tomatoes, beans, peppers, eggplant, melons, squash, tomatillos, okra and cucumbers.