Northwest Gardener
How fresh is your salad? Grow your own lettuce ~ it’s easy
by
Story & Photos Nancy Chennault
L
ettuce? Boring ol’ lettuce? Why would anyone be eager to grow lettuce when we yearn to grow impressive vegetables like tomatoes?! It is too early to think about tomatoes. Mid-May to mid-June is better for those warm season vegetables. Perhaps this is the year to discover the pleasure of growing a crop that snickers at the weather. . . like lettuce! Lettuce is the foundation for green salad year around. Any small corner of a flower bed will do or you can grow them effortlessly in a container or basket even if you have no garden space. Drunken Woman Frizzy Headed? A large selection of lettuces are available from all vegetable seed suppliers. Territorial Seed Company lists 16 lettuce varieties and six lettuce blends. With so many choices, it is hard to decide which to grow. I chose “Drunken Woman Frizzy Headed” because the name made me laugh out loud. I soon discovered this ruffled butterhead lettuce also tastes great and the rosy tips of the leaves are attractive in a fresh green salad (seedlings pictured, below).
Photos, from top: Romaine transplants from seed sown mid-March; Leave the center of the plant to regrow after picking, a technique which works through multiple harvests; Seed blends such as this Paradise Blend give multiple varieties per packet; Buttercrunch lettuce sown the end of January, transplanted the end of March to the garden, harvest began first of May.
the plastic and keep moist until ready to transplant. Use a mild houseplant fertilizer to feed them at this time. Repeat sowings every three weeks to have fresh plants to replenish your crop as you harvest throughout the season. Consider alternating varieties so that there is something different coming along all the time.
Seed can be sown year around I like to sow the first crop around the end of January for planting outside in March. Lightly sprinkle a few seeds on the top of moist soil. Barely conceal the seed with additional soil and then cover with plastic wrap. (If you plan to keep your lettuce in a pot or basket, you can directly sow the seed into this container.) Germinate the seed in a place with good light and moderate heat. When the seed sprouts, remove
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BEDDING PLANTS & BASKETS
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My last sowing is around the first of September. Transplants mature slowly and in late winter are a welcome bit of fresh greens. With an old comforter for protection, these plants did survive the 10 degree winter temperatures. In a sun room or atrium you would be able to grow lettuce to harvest year-round. Lettuce seed will keep for several years if sealed in a plastic bag and kept in the vegetable bin in the refrigerator. Be aware that the germination rate will fall as the seed ages. Sow a little heavier for older seed so you won’t be disappointed.
7th Ave. across from Expo Center Longview
cont page 28 Longtime local gardening maven Nancy Chennault and her husband, Jim Chennault, operate The Gardens @ Sandy Bend in Castle Rock. They grow veggies to feed the body and flowers to feed the soul.
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Transplanting The seedlings can be transplanted to the garden when they have two to three sets of adult leaves. Give them some exposure to outside temperatures for a few days to avoid transplant shock. Select an area that gets some sun for part of the day. Mid-summer lettuce crops can grow with quite a bit of shade. Apply an organic, natural based fertilizer to the soil and work it into the top 4 inches before placing the seedlings. Space according to package directions, although I find
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Columbia River Reader / April 15 – May 14, 2014 / 15