Lettuce seedlings take a lot of care to grow. Lettuce is one of the most versatile and valuable crops to grow in a polytunnel in the UK. Growing red romaine lettuce requires the same garden techniques as growing green varieties. ... Quick growing it's ideal as a pick and grow with lots of green leaves but also develops a full heart. Sow seed on moist, well-prepared soil or compost in spring. Enjoy! Lettuce plants growing in full sun that receive at least six hours of direct sunlight each day will produce leaves the fastest, but lettuce plants will tolerate growing in partial shade as well. But if you have ample of window space or indoor grow space, then that might not be an issue for you. Lettuce Growing Tips: The optimal temperature to germinate lettuce seed is 65°F. You can pick loose-leaf lettuce varieties from six weeks, at 10 weeks for hearting types. If you're looking to start grow lettuce at home, but don't have a ton of space to do so, growing lettuce in a pot is a great option. 1. Romaine or Cos (an ancient city in Greece ) has been cultivated, eaten cooked or raw for almost 5,000 years. Either way, lettuces don’t take long to reach maturity, which makes them an excellent choice for growing in-between slower-to-establish crops such as corn or leeks. Nutritionally, Romaine has all of the benefits of most green, leafy foods. It’s incredibly simple. Growing lettuce: Lettuce, Cos – Little Gem. As a matter of fact, in hot climates or warm times of year, some shade in the afternoon hours goes a long way toward saving lettuce plants from the stress of exposure to the beating sun. There are amazing varieties that are red, green, speckled or frilly, just the thing to make a spectacular salad to impress your friends and family. For Chinese lettuce: see Mizuna Cos a fast growing lettuce variety – also known as ‘Romaine’- crisp, firm leaves form a dense heart at the centre. You call it Romaine or Cos, this lettuce is one of the best when it comes to nutrition and ease of growing. Lettuce needs to be in a spot with plenty of sunlight. How to grow lettuce. Do not throw away your lettuce stumps. Romaine or cos lettuce is relatively easy to grow in home gardens, and it can withstand more heat than other types of lettuce like iceberg.It still needs cool temperatures overall, however, with a growing season with temperatures in a range from about 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7.2 degrees Celsius) to 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 degrees Celsius). Crisphead lettuce, or head for short, is the lettuce we know as Iceberg. # growinglettuce # growlettucefromstump Cos (Romaine): This type of lettuce forms dense, upright heads with tender centers. My favourite kind of lettuce to grow is a light green Cos … Cut them in half and check how closely leaves are packed in the head. Lettuce is an easy plant to grow almost all year-round (under cover during colder months). Water with a sprayer or mister not with a hose. If you struggle to grow crops, you should get along well with growing lettuce. […] If five or six heads out of ten are … Quantity: Lettuce varieties: There are huge number of lettuce varieties that we can grow at different times of the year and in different locations and situations. Tips on how to beat the slugs- in the veg garden I prefer either organic slug pellets, beer traps and often a combination of the two can be most effective.. Apart from slugs, the other problem when growing lettuce is that it can bolt, especially in hot weather. Make sure the plants have 10-14 hours of fluorescent light per day, and keep the temperature between 55 and 75° Fahrenheit. 2. Well-suited for containers, romaine can grow alone, with other types of lettuce such as looseleaf, butterhead or crisphead, or in … Change water daily 3. Green Towers, Valley Heart and Red Eyes Cos are all interesting romaine cultivars. About a week before your estimated harvest date, walk through your field and pick out a few lettuce heads that look ready. When to harvest Cos and Iceberg lettuce. May very well be the oldest form of cultivated lettuce. Where to Plant Lettuce. By doing this, you can get a head start on the growing season. Lettuce is a favorite in the garden because it is relatively easy to grow, is one of the first crops that can be planted, and is one of the first crops to yield in the spring. In … They act as “barrier plants” for the lettuce. Spring, mid-summer, and early fall are the times of year to plant lettuce, but you can grow lettuce in the summer even in warm regions if you choose heat-tolerant and bolt-resistant varieties. If you grow only one vegetable other than tomatoes, it should be lettuce. When is the Best Time to Plant? Seeds need to to be very close to the surface to germinate, only a couple of mm of fine potting mix or seed raising mixture to cover them. Romaine (also called cos) lettuce is a tasty, popular type of lettuce. Crunchy lettuce Crunchy lettuce represents a very interesting alternative to Cos or iceberg. Romaine lettuce, which is also called Cos lettuce, takes a bit longer to grow. Cos, butter crunch, oak leaf etc. This innovative lettuce offers the best of both worlds: its leaves are just as long and green as those of a normal Cos lettuce, both on the outside and the inside. Lettuce is a cool-season crop, so in hot climates you may get better results growing it in a cooler, shadier spot, especially as the young plants start out. Finger food wraps: large lettuce leaves can make great wrappers for finger foods. Crisphead (iceberg) lettuce: Plant or thin to 16 inches apart. : Growing romaine lettuce is fairly easy. It is a wonderful and flexible crop especially suited for early spring and autumn cropping. Once the roots for after 5-7 days you can plant your baby outside. Head lettuce, in contrast, should be started indoors and then transplanted in the spring after the last frost. Crunchita RZ Bl:16-30,32,33EU/Nr:0 Crunchita RZ is a large Green Cos lettuce. Here are a few steps to help you along in the process: When to Plant. It adds bulk and texture to salads and salad sandwiches, and there are many types to choose from to suit your needs. Romaine or cos has long tall, thick leaves, and is famously used in Caesar salads. It can be grown in pots and window boxes as well as the open ground, and is generally happy at close spacings. Tender lettuce shoots are caviar to the slugs, so protect. Lettuce grows best during the cooler growing seasons. Watch nature take its course 4. I grow a lot of the green oakleaf as my staple, and I grow all others for their ornamental value. With the help of a greenhouse or polytunnel you can harvest lettuce for over ten months of the year. How to Grow Lettuce in a Pot. But there is more to knowing how to grow lettuce than this and treating them so casually will more often than not bring disappointment. Lettuce grows for many weeks in the mild weather of spring and fall. It grows best in the spring or fall because lettuce prefers temperatures between 60-70°F. Growing lettuce is so easy, takes up little space, and you can even grow it among flowers. The open leaf varieties. It gets its name from the Romans, who likely imported it from either Greece or (more likely) Arabia. Romaine Lettuce is such a kind. Water thoroughly at time of transplanting. It is also popularly known is Cos lettuce due to its origin in an Island called “Cos” . Planting Lettuce. If you're looking for the best way to grow romaine lettuce, try following the tips found in this article. If I grew lettuce only for eating, I'd grow just my Darwin lettuce. Grow lettuce seedlings outside of the water culture system, and once they are around 2 inches tall, transplant them into a net pot and place the pot in the reservoir. For the best chance of success, plan on starting your crisphead lettuce indoors in order to get a jump on the growing season. How To Grow Little Cos Lettuces 'Little Gem' is a fast-growing mini cos. But, it’s very hardy and can thrive in environments where most varieties tend to have issues with. It grows best in … Lettuce is a cold weather crop. Lettuce grows best in cool weather and sunny locations. Romaine or Cos. Juicy and crunchy with a refreshingly distinctive flavor, heavily ribbed centers on an oblong head, leaves longer than they are wide. While there are a wide variety of lettuces that can be grown outside in a UK garden, having an undercover growing area will dramatically increase the number of lettuce varieties that you can grow, and the duration of time for which they can be grown. protect from slugs and snails. Place your lettuce stump in 1 inch of water and place in good light. The best lettuce for this method are the hearting types, such as Iceberg or Cos. It's a cool-weather crop that can be planted in early spring and late summer in most areas of the United States. Lettuce- How to grow from seed. Lettuce is a must-have for the vegetable garden. Crispheads are some of the most difficult types of lettuce to grow because they need long, cold seasons to reach full maturity. But lettuces are waaaay too pretty to limit myself to that. Some varieties are pretty enough to go in the ornamental garden too. The main problem when growing lettuce is slugs. Water 2-3 times a day, keep the soil moist. How to grow Cos Lettuce from its stump! Latin name: Lactuca sativa. Most romaine lettuce have a growing period of 65 to 80 days, depending on the variety. Sow lettuce seeds in spring and more in early summer, thin out the seedlings and harvest when mature. Romaine grows in tall heads of sturdy leaves and is very heat tolerant. If you’d like to grow your lettuce inside your home, check out these tips for growing lettuce … Leaf lettuce is easy to tuck in between and under taller vegetables, and is perfect for containers. However, growing this or Romaine lettuce in the house (besides if you are using it as a base to grow lettuce from) is a little more challenging because you need more space for the heads to develop. Cover with a very thin layer of compost or vermiculite. Family: Compositae. With very careful planning, growing your own lettuce can give you a crop throughout the year, they are among the most popular of salad vegetables and are easily grown.. Romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa), also called cos lettuce, makes a rather elegant statement in containers with its upright growth habit and narrow leaves. Lettuce, no matter the variety, is considered a cool-weather crop. This is a slow cooking method, done over low heat, with a lid on the saucepan, usually for about 30-40 minutes. Cos lettuce have upright leaves with the outer ones being green and the inner ones frequently blanched to a lighter colour to form a crispy heart. You should check out cultivars like Green Towers, Red Eyes Cos, and Valley Heart. Consider planting rows of chives or garlic between your lettuce to control aphids. Growing Head Lettuce. Good disease resistance. 5. The best of its kind. Thin seedlings out when they’re big enough to handle and keep the compost moist. How to Grow Lettuce – A Guide to Growing Lettuce Lettuce. , and is generally happy at close spacings more often than not disappointment. 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