Comments on: Home Grown Lettuce

By: Kenny Point

Kenny Point — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 02:51:26 +0000

Courtney, you can grow lettuce indoors but the plants will need plenty of sunlight or a supplemental light source such as fluorescent tubes or grow lights. I would recommend a loose leaf or cutting lettuce variety such as Salad Bowl or Oak Leaf. You could also try one of the lettuce mixes or mesclun. These cutting lettuces can be planted thickly and harvested when the plants are just four to six inches tall, then they will usually resprout and produce multiple harvests indoors or out.

By: courtney

courtney — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 22:50:26 +0000

I live in zone 9, and am afraid that it is just way too hot most of the year for lettuce, can lettuce be grown in containers inside, as long as they sit in a sunny window? Is there a variety best suited for this?

Thanks.

By: Kenny Point

Kenny Point — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 01:21:37 +0000

Hi Marty, try harvesting your romaine lettuce during the early morning hours and see if that helps. Have the lettuce plants started to bolt and go to seed? That’s when I’ve noticed plants that produce that milky fluid. Also, romaine lettuce is usually harvested by cutting the entire plant once the head is fully grown, rather than to harvest the leaves individually.

By: Marty

Marty — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 23:37:48 +0000

Hi Kenny
I am attempting to grow romaine lettuce for the first time. It is growing well. About 8″-10″ with nice leaves. The problem is that when picked a white milky fluid comes out of where the leaf was torn and the leaves have a bitter after taste. Any input would be help. Thank you

By: Kenny Point

Kenny Point — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 20:06:39 +0000

Dee, congrats on the nice crop of lettuce but it sounds like your harvest contains tiny aphids. A soap spray should bring them under control pretty quickly. Also, briefly soaking the harvested lettuce in slightly salted water may help dislodge the bugs and make cleaning your crop a litte easier. For a long term solution try attracting beneficial insects such as ladybugs and aphid lions to your garden where they will happily eat all the aphids that they catch on your lettuce.

By: Dee

Dee — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 18:54:14 +0000

Hi Kenny,
I have an abundant crop of lettuce but I also have an abundant crop of tiny lettuce colored insects….even after I thoroughly wash the lettuce I can sometimes spot the critters. Should I do a soap spray,and if so what proportions?

By: Bill

Bill — Sun, 27 May 2007 00:40:31 +0000

Good suggestion.

By: Kenny Point

Kenny Point — Thu, 24 May 2007 02:22:43 +0000

Hi Stefanie, Lettuce does struggle to grow under warmer and dry growing conditions and will often run to seed or turn bitter. There are a few summer varieties of lettuce that are a little more heat tolerant and some growers use shade cloth to extend the lettuce growing season. Lettuce can also be raised as a fall vegetable but the timing of the planting is even more critical than spring sown crops. At this point I would focus on warm weather vegetables and try growing lettuce again next spring. Start the lettuce seedlings indoors under lights and transplant out into the garden a little earlier next season. You can also trial different lettuce varieties to determine which ones will grow best in your climate.