Veggie-A-Week #1 Leafy, Lovely Lettuce

From: Marvin
“Knock, Knock!”
“Who’s there?”
“Lettuce.”
“Lettuce, who?”
“Lettuce in, we want some salad.”

LET US help build your dream vegetable garden. It’s time to get your plants in to have all the food you need for the Thanksgiving holiday. Lettuce is one of the quickest veggies, just 3 to 4 weeks and you will be picking your salad when you plant our 4 packs. Planting from seeds is great as well, and will add 3 to 4 weeks to the crop time.

Leaf lettuce is the best type to grow, it has the most nutrition and the leaves can be picked before the whole plant is mature. “Pick and come again,” some would say. Dark leaf varieties are typically more heat tolerant and should be planted in the warmer months, September and March through April, but can also be planted October through February. Lettuce wants to be kept moist at all times, drying down too many times can cause the leaves to go bitter. Plants that begin to flower (stalk comes up from the center) will also turn bitter.

Caterpillars are lettuce’s worst enemy and can be controlled with an organic product called BT (bacteria). Neem, also organic, will control most other issues. Both of these can be sprayed on, either in the morning or late in the afternoon, but should be done on alternate days. Don’t spray both products in the same day.

The secret for success is to plant, water, fertilize, and eat. Lettuce is one of the easiest, and also the quickest growers for your garden.