Lettuce thrives well into winter in a cold frame or hoop house. Choose cold-hardy varieties such as Romaine or Cos, Buttercrunch or Bibb, and loose leaf lettuces.
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.
What is the lowest temperature lettuce can grow in?
20 degrees F.
How to Grow: Lettuce is a cool-weather crop that thrives in the temperature range 60-65 degrees F, and if thoroughly hardened, most varieties survive temperatures as low as 20 degrees F. Cold-adapted varieties survive much lower temperatures.
What is winter lettuce?
Those varieties of lettuce sold as “winter” lettuce are particularly cold hardy and able to grow in low light conditions. Sow Winter lettuce or plant out small plants directly into the veg plot in Autumn from August until around November, depending on the conditions.
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)
Can I grow lettuce through 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 lettuce grows all year round?
Lactuca sativa
Lettuce All Year Round Lactuca sativa is an excellent lettuce and as the name suggest suitable for planting almost any time. It produces tight solid hearts and is very hardy. Seed packet contains 1000 seeds. Sow thinly, 5mm (quarter-inch) deep in rows 25-30cm (10-12in) apart.
How do you grow lettuce in cold weather?
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.
How late can you grow lettuce?
Garden zones with minimum temperatures in the 60s can grow lettuce all year round. Lettuce seeds germinate in temperatures between 40 to 80 degrees F, depending on the cultivar. Active growth takes place when days are between 60 to 70 degrees.
How do you grow lettuce indoors year round?
For lettuce, a south-facing window is best. Even better: a south-facing bay window. If you don’t have enough light on a windowsill, grow your crop under lights. Specially designed systems tabletop grow lights, are perfect for growing small crops of lettuce.
Can romaine lettuce be grown in winter?
Lettuce Varieties Suited for Cold Weather
For example, Winter Density (butterhead/romaine cross), Cimmaron (red romaine), Rouge d’Hiver (red romaine), Winter Marvel (butterhead), and North Pole (butterhead) are all very hardy and can grow well throughout the winter with some protection.
Can romaine lettuce survive winter?
All types of lettuce, including romaine (also called cos) are cold-weather vegetables that can withstand brief frosts and even freezes, although they may experience some outer leaf damage.
How long does it take to grow winter lettuce?
Lettuce seeds grow very quickly. On average, it only takes about 40-50 days for them to reach full maturity. You can start harvesting leafy varieties much sooner than that, since they don’t need to reach full maturity first.
What is the easiest lettuce to grow?
Loose leaf lettuce
Loose leaf lettuce, which refers to varieties that don’t form any type of head, is considered the easiest to grow. It matures in 40-45 days, but no need to wait that long to enjoy it! You can start thinning (and eating the trimmings) in as little as three weeks.
Can I grow iceberg lettuce in winter?
Plant the iceberg lettuce six to eight weeks before the last expected spring frost. Don’t plant the lettuce during the early winter or summer, or it will struggle to grow because of the extreme temperatures. If you don’t know when the last expected spring frost is in your area, look it up online.
In what month is best to produce lettuce?
Lettuce is a cool weather crop and is best grown in spring and fall. The seeds germinate in temperatures as low as 40 F (4 C) but its ideal germination and growing temperature is between 60 and 65 F (16 to 18 C).
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 I grow lettuce in an unheated greenhouse over winter?
Many types of leafy, green vegetables can thrive in a winter greenhouse. Do you crave fresh salads during the winter months? Many varieties of lettuce are sensitive to freezing but some types, such as endive and radicchio, are rugged enough to tolerate the cold.
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.
Is there a perennial lettuce?
Note: Lactuca sativa (garden lettuce) is an annual plant – there aren’t any perennial varieties. There is a member of the genus, Lactuca perennis, called “perennial lettuce” but it isn’t a true “lettuce” plant and it isn’t edible.
How many times will lettuce regrow?
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.