Leaf Lettuce

Leaf lettuce is nutritious, easy-to-grow, and delicious.

Leaf lettuce is a versatile, nutritious, and easy-to-grow vegetable that thrives in cool weather. It’s perfect for home gardens due to its rapid growth and ability to be harvested multiple times. Leaf lettuce provides essential vitamins and minerals, making it a healthy addition to your diet. To grow, plant seeds in well-prepared soil and keep it consistently moist.

Harvesting is simple: just snip outer leaves when they’re large enough to eat, allowing the inner leaves to continue growing. This method, known as “cut-and-come-again,” ensures a continuous supply of fresh, tender lettuce for your salads and sandwiches.

Top Producing Varieties

Bergam’s Green: A non-heading, dark-green leaf lettuce variety that is highly productive.
Gabriella: A leaf lettuce with deep-red colored leaves, great for baby leaves and fresh markets.
Gatsbi: An adaptable mini lettuce with highly savoy green leaves, suitable for growing in all seasons.
Cimmaron Romaine: A red-leaf romaine variety that is slow to bolt and has a sweet, mild flavor.
Royal Oakleaf: This variety produces dark green, oak-shaped leaves and is resistant to bolting.
Arianna: A loose-leaf lettuce that is heat-tolerant and slow to bolt, making it ideal for summer planting.
Coolguard Iceberg: A hybrid iceberg lettuce that is bred for heat resistance and slow bolting.
Jericho: A romaine lettuce variety that is slow to bolt and has a crisp texture and sweet flavor.

Soil Preparation

Choose the Right Location: Leaf lettuce prefers full sun but can tolerate partial shade, especially in warmer climates.
Soil Testing: Test your soil’s pH level. Lettuce thrives in slightly acidic to neutral soil, with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0.
Soil Amendment: If your soil is too acidic, add lime to raise the pH. If it’s too alkaline, add sulfur to lower it.
Add Organic Matter: Incorporate compost or well-rotted manure into the soil to improve fertility, drainage, and structure.
Loosen the Soil: Use a garden fork or tiller to break up any compacted soil to a depth of about 6-8 inches.

Planting Leaf Lettuce

Optionally starting seeds indoors: Start seeds indoors in early April. 4- 6 weeks before last frost date.
Timing: Plant leaf lettuce in early spring or late summer for a fall harvest. Lettuce prefers cool weather. Sow seeds directly in the garden as soon as the soil can be worked, typically 2-3 weeks before the last frost date.
Sowing Seeds: Scatter seeds thinly on the soil surface. Leaf lettuce seeds are small and should be planted shallowly, about 1/4 inch deep.
Spacing: Thin seedlings to about 6-8 inches apart to allow space for growth.
Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Lettuce needs regular watering to grow tender leaves.
Mulching: Apply a light layer of mulch around the plants to help retain moisture and suppress weeds.
Harvesting: Begin harvesting leaves when they are large enough to eat. Pick outer leaves first, allowing the inner leaves to continue growing.
Succession Planting: Continue sowing seeds every 2 weeks until early summer to ensure a continuous harvest.