GARDEN spring lettuces
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B Y K AT H E R I N E F U LG H U M K N O P F
rowing a variety of greens is easy this spring. You will find lettuce seed packets everywhere—from local garden shops and hardware centers to big box stores. Spring lettuces are simple to grow, provide quick results, and are full of vitamins and minerals. And fresh greens have so many uses: They fill the salad bowl, top sandwiches and fill wraps, and provide the base layer on a good plate of salmon, chicken or sliced beef. Here’s how to grow your own spring mix.
Creating a Spring Mix
If you are planting a garden, add several rows of different spring lettuce varieties. These are the leafy varieties that make a salad or sandwich colorful—not the traditional Iceberg lettuce that grows into a big head. It is hard to choose just a few as they have wonderful names to captivate your attention. “Spring Mix” in the grocery store’s produce department becomes exotic when it’s found in seed packets bearing catchy names such as Ruby, Tango and Black Seeded Simpson. You can’t just buy one or two! Read the back of each packet for a description of each variety’s taste, texture and colors. There are so many varieties, and they grow so easily from seed that you will be pleased with the quick results. If you aren’t planting a garden or just want some greens within easy reach out your back door, consider planting in pots. A big clay pot with one or two selections, or a group of pots each containing a single 92
type of lettuce will add color and warmth to those early spring days. Lettuces can be planted to fill in between your spring flowers too. Just plant your pansies in a pot with some space between the flowers, make a few holes in the potting soil, and sprinkle in lettuce seeds. Cover with soil, and in about a week, you should see sprouts. Once greens grow to maturity (60 days or less), begin cutting them for your meals. With water and pruning, they will continue to grow and provide you with delicious meals all season long. Lettuces can be planted any time beginning in mid-spring. April is a great time to start, as you don’t have to cover seedlings as often due to fewer frosty nights. Once you plant seeds, all they need is water and sunlight to germinate. These little seeds will grow into beautiful little bunches of lettuce within eight weeks. When the heat of mid-summer arrives, these spring lettuces will begin to dwindle, and you can either plant a Central Virginia HOME Spring 2017