<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n10. Lettuce Varieties<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Which lettuce best suits your garden? Select one or more of these popular varieties for your veggie patch or greenhouse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leaf Lettuce \u2013 This species includes the varieties of oak, green, and red lettuce. Leaves branch in multiple stalks and do not produce ahead. This variety is famous for \u2018baby lettuce\u201d products in grocery stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Romaine Lettuce \u2013 With a slightly bitter taste, and long, curling leaves, and sweet centers, romaine lettuce is crunchy and full of flavor. A favorite in salads and sandwiches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iceberg Lettuce \u2013 Hearty and crisp, this refreshing lettuce doesn\u2019t have as much flavor as the previous types mentioned. However, the iceberg has an outstanding crunch that makes it suitable for including in garden salads. When left unwashed in the crisper drawer of your fridge, this lettuce can last for up to 2-weeks after harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Butterhead Lettuce \u2013 These varieties include Bibb and Boston lettuce, featuring small heads that are excellent for cooking, rather than eating raw. Bibb heads are about the size of a fist, and they are usually twice the price of iceberg lettuce when buying them at the store, making them the most expensive on the market. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n11. Growing in Containers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n When strapped for space around your home, you can grow lettuce in containers. We like growing in pots or containers for a few reasons. First, it\u2019s easy to control pests and disease in the plants, and second \u2013 we can do it right outside out windowsill, there\u2019s no need for a patio. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Search online for windowsill containers, and you\u2019ll find plenty of options available. These containers attach to the inside of your window frame, allowing you to suspend the garden above the ground. Using this method, you limit the number of bugs that can infest your crop. Diseases are also less common in container gardens as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Butterhead and leaf varieties of lettuce do well in container gardens, and they are easy to maintain as well. You don\u2019t have to worry about aphids finding your plants, as long as no ants are hanging around on your walls. Ensure that your container drains well and has at least 12-inches of depth for the roots of the plants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n12. Avoid Bolt<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Bolting is a lettuce gardener\u2019s worst nightmare. When this condition affects your garden, it results in the premature finishing of the plant. As a result, the lettuce rushes to produce seed in the hope of spreading it genetics into the soil for propagation in the following growing season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lettuce that experiences bolting develops a dry and woody or earthy taste. This phenomenon with the leaves occurs due to the plant drawing water and nutrients from the leaves to supply energy to its reproductive efforts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If your garden starts to experience bolting, it could be as a result of a sudden increase in temperature due to a heatwave, or changes in the angle of sunlight hitting the hanging container garden during the peak sun hours of the day. The Boston and Bibb lettuce types, as well as the butterhead varieties, are more resistant to bolting, so plant these types if you live in warmer climates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n13. Companion Plants<\/h3>\n\n\n\n When it comes time for planting your lettuce, the wise gardener takes advantage of companion plants. These flowers, herbs, and vegetables grow alongside your lettuce crop, providing it protection from pests and diseases. Companion planting is essential for any organic gardener looking to do everything they can to avoid treating plants with pesticides and fungicides that could ruin the viability of the crop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plant a row of marigolds around the edge of your garden; these flowers deter pests. Garlic and chives help to prevent insects as well. Other vegetables that do well alongside your lettuce are cucumbers, asparagus, eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, it\u2019s important to note that there are some plants that you should never plant alongside lettuce. Avoid planting anything from the brassica family next to your lettuce cabbage kale, and other leafy greens compete for the same nutrients in the soil, resulting in limp lettuce with no flavor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n14. Storing Lettuce<\/h3>\n\n\n\n After harvesting your lettuce, your storage options depending on the variety you have on hand. All leaf-type lettuces will perish within a week of picking, even with correct storage in the fridge. However, lettuce varieties with heads may keep for far longer, with some types lasting in the crisper drawer for up to 2-weeks after harvest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since lettuce is 95-percent water, it\u2019s a terrible vegetable to tray and freeze. However, it makes a fun experiment, to freeze it and see what happens. The result is limp lettuce that looks as terrible as it tastes. Store your lettuce in a lightly packed plastic Ziploc bag in the fridge, packing them together results in the leaves spoiling faster, so keep it loose and airy in the bag. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only go to rinse your lettuce as you intend to eat it. Washing before storage will result in faster rotting, and the leaves will turn mushy overnight in the fridge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n