It has Iceberg lettuce’s crunch in its stem, Summer Crisp’s texture, and loose-leaf lettuce’s easy growing nature. Depending on which variety you’re growing, a butterhead can take anything from 35 to 70 days for full growth. Sometimes, this type will form heads at their core, but these are generally softer and less crisp than the other two types described below. This type of lettuce is characterized by a tight and upright shape. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. She has filled the rest of the garden with a polytunnel, a vegetable patch, a herb garden, a wildlife pond, woodland areas and more. If you live in a colder climate zone, you can still grow lettuce year-round. Lettuce crops (Lactuca sativa) has been moving from the boring side salad to an ingredient to be selected and savored.There are hundreds of varieties of lettuce you can grow and most salad greens are high in mineral, vitamin, and fiber content. Check out some of the most common lettuce varieties below: Romaine: A popular variety with large and upright leaves form a loaf-shaped head.Leaves are crispy, tender, and sweet. Bibb: Small head lettuce with a ruffled form and sweet, buttery flavor. Thin seedlings out when they’re big enough to handle and keep the compost moist. If you’re a high-end chef and you’re ready to take your salads to the next level, then Romaine lettuce is the right choice for you! Like its relative, Tom Thumb, Summer Bibb Butterhead Lettuce is a beautiful addition to any garden. Or you could integrate an undercover growing area with a chicken coop, for example, so the coop/chickens help heat the space. The most ideal concentration of the dissolved oxygen in … Leaf lettuces grow an open head so you can harvest leaves a few at a time or the whole head. Game on! Iceberg is sold head variety. The best known are iceberg, romaine, mini romaine, and summer wonder. You can identify many of these varieties by the frilled leaves growing on wavy, limp stems. Different Types of Lettuce That Grow in the UK 03/06/2019 Elizabeth Waddington Lettuce is one of the most versatile and valuable crops to grow in a polytunnel in the UK. And don’t forget that you can store your freshly harvested salad greens for up to two weeks with this clever little trick. Bibb: Small head lettuce with a ruffled form and sweet, buttery flavor. Good. As such, it’s great for colder climates, and allows farmers from northern areas to grow it outside well into autumn. She has long had an interest in ecology, gardening and sustainability and is fascinated by how thought can generate action, and ideas can generate positive change. Named after the state in which it’s most commonly grown, Nevada lettuce has a high heat tolerance and prefers full sun, compared to most varieties. These grow slowly to form tight hearts, with the leaves varying from bright green on the outside to pale green within the heart away from light. There are dozens of lettuce varieties, and seven main types of lettuce: looseleaf, butterhead, romaine (cos), buttercrunch, Batavian, heading, and Chinese. Some grow quickly and produce a crop for the fall even without the need for any special winter protection. Leaf lettuce varieties are the easiest lettuces to grow. When it’ time to harvest the lettuce head, all you’ll need to do is remove the outer, damaged layers. I need to know if I will ever get sweet tasting lettuce from my plants if I trim off all the bitter ones - leaving 2 or 3 to feed the plant. And if you’re having trouble finding seeds this late in the season, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is a wonderful resource for quality seed. As they grow on to reach 3-4cm high, thin them to their final spacings, which will vary according to the type of lettuce – check the back of the seed packet for details. Let’s take a look at the different types of lettuce and some excellent varieties in each category! Grow lettuce both indoors and outdoors. Gardeners can select from a large variety of lettuces that are easy to grow, highly productive in limited space, and virtually pest and disease-free. It’s a variety of the Summer Crisp lettuce, family also known as French Crisp and Bavarian Crisp. ‘Little Gem’ – classic mini cos type, sweet and crunchy, very compact heart, dark green leaves It is helpful to see lettuces as broadly falling within four groups. Which type of lettuce you choose to grow will depend not only on where you live. Crispono’s pale inner leaves gives this variety a mild and slightly sweet taste, making it the quintessential Iceberg variety to grow. Just like other lettuce varieties, this type of lettuce is grown much the same way. It offers crispy, fresh, mild, sweet-flavored leaves. How to Grow Butter Lettuce. As the seedlings grow, harvest the entire plant leaving behind the other entire plants. There’s no mistake about where this lettuce variety got its name from. This variety’s light green heads fit perfectly in the palm of your hand. The yield from the garden is increasing year on year – rapidly approaching an annual weight in produce of almost 1 ton. Feel free to grow them as a stunning piece in your favourite flower planters! It can tolerate both sparse and close spacing environments, in soil types that range from premium to poor. Not only does this lettuce have its trademark oak-leaf shape, it’s forest green with gorgeous red speckles. This is great for low-carb and gluten-free diets, and just for better dietary health overall. Finding your way through the maze of lettuce varieties available in seed catalogues can be bewildering. It also grows well in greenhouses, and in containers indoors. How to Grow Lettuce. This lettuce variety originated in Malaysia, so it’s well suited for growing in hot climates. New Red Fire Loose-Leaf lettuce has curly burgundy leaves—red as autumn flames. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is an annual plant of the daisy family, Asteraceae.It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable, but sometimes for its stem and seeds. In some regions, it’s possible to plant a second crop of lettuce in the fall or even early winter. Planting Lettuce. They’ll take a little longer than loose-leaf lettuces to reach a decent size for harvest, but are still reasonably quick to mature. You can see a review of this light (growing red leaf lettuce) in the video below. Begin planting lettuce 4 weeks before the last spring frost d ate. Keep the seeds moist while they germinate and start to grow. The leaves are rigid and crunchy, and explains why this variety is also known as Crisphead lettuce. There are so many types of lettuce to choose from – all with different colours, flavours and textures – that salad need never be boring! Lettuce is an easy crop to grow, and is usually pretty adaptable to its environment. But lettuces are waaaay too pretty to limit myself to that. You can also extend your growing season for fall plants by using other interesting techniques – such as incorporating more thermal mass to store heat energy. Romaine takes 75 to 85 days and crisphead 70 to 100 days. Green leaf lettuce grows to the baby leaf stage (1.5- to 3.5-inches long) requires the least amount of light. As its subtle differences in flavor and texture are discovered, lettuce’s popularity keeps growing. This way, you’re allowing 1 or 2 plants to fully mature in each pot. Mini-head lettuces are either standard head lettuce varieties that are planted at close spacing and harvested early, before they are fully mature, or, they are varieties that mature at a naturally small, compact size. The leaves are tender with a mild, slightly nutty flavor. Though they take longer to reach maturity than the loose-leaf types often do, they’re relatively quick growing. You can pick loose-leaf lettuce varieties from six weeks, at 10 weeks for hearting types. protect from slugs and snails. People use lettuce leaves as a replacement for flatbread and spring roll wrappers. Although it is a cool-season crop, meaning that it does better in the spring and the fall, there are now many heat-tolerant varieties, making it easy to grow … Tom Thumb is a type of Butterhead lettuce, which has a characteristic round shape and pliant leaves. They act as “barrier plants” for the lettuce. Little list of lettuce facts. (These varieties need at least 7 inches between plants). If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even add it to a smoothie. Copyright © 2020 Rural Sprout on the Seasoned Pro Theme, Annuals, Biennials and Perennials - 3 Plant Types You Need To Know, Grow Zucchini In Containers - 15 Tips For Huge Harvests, 8 Ways To Make Your Soil More Acidic (& 5 Things Not To Do). Looking to get a little fancier with your salad-making skills? It a great quick crop before a. Leaf lettuce, or loose leaf lettuce, are fast growing lettuce varieties. It may look like it was grown on Mars, but this lettuce type from southern China is definitely an Earth species. Being so compact, it’s extremely popular for small spaces, like container and window box gardens. She is a practical, hands-on gardener, with a background in philosophy: (an MA in English-Philosophy from St Andrews University). Up until around August, you can still sow a wide range of lettuces. After reading this, are you craving a salad yet? We've had great success with the Mars Hydro SP 150 LED grow light . 'Iceberg', 'cabbage lettuce') this was virtually the only kind of lettuce in existance in the consciousness of the New Zealanders of the 50's and 60's .In the UK and USA, this type is referred to as 'iceberg' lettuce, as it is so crisp and has such a white, crisp, densely packed heart. ; in that, you can get your first edible leaves in precisely 3 weeks and in about 40-80 days you can harvest a full head. If you’re new to gardening or have not grown lettuce before, you may wish to grow some of the other types to begin with. Lettuce survives an occasional dip to 10 degrees F (–12 degrees C) with good row cover outdoors — but not 8 degrees F (–13 degrees C), I know! Of course, the twenty lettuce varieties mentioned in this article are just a small portion of the many different options out there that you should consider. When it comes to growing lettuce, this type is very tolerant to cold conditions. Popular varieties of Butter lettuce that grow in Florida are Bibb, Big Boston and Buttercrunch. It has a low maturity rate of about 55 days, and is very easy to grow both indoors and outdoors. It is best to plant head lettuce in the fall as, by avoiding the warmer weather, you can produce sweeter lettuce. A cool weather crop, Salanova lettuce is hardy and will grow best in 60-65F (15.5-18.3C). There are hundreds of lettuce’s varieties are available to grow at home. There are dozens of lettuce types, and they fall into five categories: Batavian, butterhead, iceberg, loose leaf, and romaine. 21 Breathtakingly Beautiful Flowering Vines to Suit Every Site, DIY Safe Homemade Cleaners with 8 Garden Herbs, A Complete Morning Glory Growing Guide and 4 Varieties to Inspire You, Make an Extraordinary DIY Bridal Bouquet with Vegetables and Herbs, How to Create a Beautiful Tropical Garden in Your Own Backyard, Language of Flowers to Turn Your Garden into a Beautiful Poem, The Complete Guide to Growing 8 Elegant Alstroemeria Lilies, How to Grow Asparagus at Home for Delightful Perennial Harvests, 17 of the Most Popular Fast Growing Shade Trees for Your Yard. There might be some lettuce varieties that are claimed to be tolerant of very low levels of oxygen. It produces its leaves in a twisty, rose-like pattern, making Mache stand out amongst other varieties. Harvesting Lettuce Image via youtube. But you may have to provide additional cloche protection. That would be a shame, since Lau’s pointed leaf lettuce’s  light green, tall, slender leaves are wonderful additions to any garden. Its leaves—which curl backwards slightly when mature—are also highly sought after for wraps. Before we delve deeper and look at some of the delicious varieties of lettuce you can sow now for fall, it’s helpful to discuss the different types of lettuce. Their strong leaf stems have a sweet note that contrasts beautifully with its mature leaves’ slight bitterness. Check out How to Grow Cut-and-Come-Again Lettuce for more detailed growing advice for this type of lettuce. Crisphead varieties (which includes the ubiquitous Icebergs) take about ten to twelve weeks to mature, and should be harvested roots and all. But getting it right means thinking about which varieties are right for you and your area. If I grew lettuce only for eating, I'd grow just my Darwin lettuce. Lettuce is a cool (not cold) season crop; it thrives when temperatures are between 60℉ and 70℉. Considering how quickly they germinate, you can have a whole crop of lettuce heads in no time! Amongst other things, she has designed private gardens in regions as diverse as Canada, Minnesota, Texas, the Arizona/California desert, and the Dominican Republic, commercial aquaponics schemes, food forests and community gardens in a wide range of global locations. Types of Lettuce. Elizabeth Waddington is a writer, permaculture designer and green living consultant. Lettuce is low in nutrients, and has very low calorie, carb, vitamin, and mineral levels. What kind of soil does Lettuce … Many are green but there are also some interesting varieties with reddish coloration. You can choose to eat Frisee either as a baby leafy green, or as a full-grown salad base. In addition, this vegetable isn’t placing high on people’s “favourite vegetables” lists. (Especially if you have some protection in place in case of early frosts.). Butter lettuce has a delicious, buttery flavor that is good to use in salads or on sandwiches. Thankfully, due to iceberg lettuce’s high leaf count, you won’t even notice if there are a few leaves missing. This lettuce variety is very dependable, and does well in a variety of growing conditions. Lettuce is most often used for salads, although it is also seen in other kinds of food, such as soups, sandwiches and wraps; it can also be grilled. When she is not gardening, Elizabeth spends a lot of time working remotely on permaculture garden projects around the world. Everything else is merely a garnish to add on afterwards. Batavian Lettuce Varieties You can try growing Iceberg, Ithaca and Great Lakes. The type of light needed depends on the variety of lettuce you're growing as well as your expectations. Lau’s lettuce can also be eaten after being lightly cooked, but shouldn’t be stored in the fridge for too long. This particular lettuce type is distinguishable by its tall stature and sturdy leaves. Included in these are mignonettes, oak leaf and butter var… Smaller varieties such as ‘Tom Thumb’ will need just 15cm between them, while large varieties may need as much as 30cm between plants. If you’re not familiar with that term, “bolt rate” refers to how lettuce will start growing flowers instead of leaves. The most popular varieties of head lettuce include Iceberg, Ithaca, Great Lakes, and Crispivo. They love it. I am growing various lettuce varieties for the first time indoors. The average person might look at this lettuce and assume that it’s a weed, rather than a crop. Why? This variety will grow in a number of different conditions, as long as the soil is kept moist and fertile. This lettuce variety is very dependable, and does well in a variety of growing conditions. Its leaves—which curl backwards slightly when mature—are also highly sought after for wraps. Others are hardy enough to survive with some kind of protection even once the first frosts arrive. Unlike loose-leaf lettuces, they have rose-petal like forms. Varieties to try. But looseleaf and butterhead leaves can be harvested at just about any time in their development. Find tips for planting a second crop of lettuce here. Your lettuce will wilt if it dries out, so aim for about an inch of water a week. Crisphead: Just like iceberg lettuce.This is the most difficult variety of lettuce to grow in Florida. Here’s a tip: if you have herbivore pets like rabbits or degus, try growing lettuce like one this for them to enjoy. You could also consider making hotbeds for your polytunnel or greenhouse, to provide heat from below. Also, thanks to the many varieties of lettuce available, it’s easy for you to personalize your garden to accommodate your needs and personality. It grows best in the spring or fall because lettuce prefers temperatures between 60-70°F. Half-grown lettuces are more cold-hardy than full-sized plants. Growing lettuce can help cover and protect the soil after the main harvest of other annual crops is out of the way. So, what are you waiting for? When grown in a controlled environment, hydroponic lettuce can be grown as a year-round crop. Easy – I’ve got for excellent reasons why you should add lettuce to your fall garden: Even in cold winter areas, you can grow lettuce through the colder months if you give your plants some protection. You can check the seed packet or product description for the number of days to harvest to find out how long it will take your variety of lettuce to mature. Some are great for hot summer weather, and others are great at withstanding the cold. There are four distinct types of lettuce: crisphead, loose-leaf, romaine, and butterhead. However, if you want to get the best yields, you need to grow the plants in a well-aerated area. Greenhouse Lettuce Varieties. It can grow to a height of 6-12 inches with a compact head … Let’s take a look together, and explore the why’s and how’s of growing lettuce in the fall. But lettuces are planted from nursery transplants into autumn a dense centre, while loose-leaf lettuces they! Encourage mold growth in lettuce, are fast growing lettuce a priority in their lives other so that! After reading this, are you craving a salad lover, here is a practical hands-on! Butterhead lettuce, more commonly known as cos lettuce ) can also be referred to as cutting leaf! Also be planted in the UK addition, this makes it easy to grow them as a stunning piece your! Together, and most varieties are available mature leaves ’ sweetness fold in on each other so tightly they... A twisty, rose-like pattern, making it the quintessential Iceberg variety to grow a,. 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