Lettuce - Easy to Grow and Worth so Much More

High in folic acid and vitamin C lettuce or Lactuca sativa is a well known addition to many conventional meals. It seems to be falling out of favor and that is a shame considering its health benefits, how easy it is to grow, and how expensive it is store bought.



Lettuce can come in many different cultivars as seen in the photo above. Seeds are relatively cheap and come with generous portions of the particular lettuce one is aiming to grow. I have always had luck throwing a handful of seeds in to a small tray with a humidity lid on it. The soil I use for this particular plant is just regular potting soil. The seeds germinate almost within a day or two. Following the specific instructions on the seed packet will usually warrant success.

Even though lettuce is a relatively easy plant to cultivate I have run into some problems and it will need some work and attention. The main issue will be lettuces disliking of high heat and light. Lettuce prefers a bit more shaded location than direct light and really suffers in intense heat. Although this makes it seem like a good idea to water more than usual, it is best to stick with suggested watering techniques. To help the problem before it starts study how the sun hits specific sections of your garden or landscape and note those that have a nice protected area during the time the sun is its strongest in early to mid afternoon.

Another maintenance issue rather than a problem is to harvest the lettuce and continually cut back. Lettuce is stimulated in its growth when cut back, after all this is how the gardener gets their harvest! It is old wisdom to cut the outside leaves first, they are usually the ones that get larger first and to cut low to the ground with a clean quick cut. A dirty cutting utensil or a relaxed pull can cause disease or unnecessary stress to the plant.


Have you realized how expensive lettuce is in supermarkets? The average price per bag of ready to go salad lettuce is about $4-6. This is not factoring the cost of organic lettuces. For someone who eats lettuce regularly in their diet or has a family to feed this can be quite expensive and last only for a short period of time. That is why growing lettuce, even if just for the summer months can save so much money. Besides nothing beats the taste of fresh picked lettuce, washed and placed into a bowl with ones favorite veggies, mushrooms, and dressing. Go out and pick a variety of lettuce seed up. Set out a plot and fill some pots. They take up so little room and offer such a great reward.