How to Grow Lettuce
Mid August is a good time to plant Lettuce. When starting crops in mid-summer, choose varieties with shorter growing cycles.
Lettuce won’t take up much space in your vegetable garden like tomatoes and cucumbers, so it’s a good crop for smaller spaces. Lettuce likes to grow in cool weather. It should be planted in a sunny or partially shaded place that is sheltered from the wind. Make your rows at least 10 inches wide, with at least 20 inches between the rows. Sow seeds 3/8" to 1/2 inch in the soil. Check the seed package for recommended spacing. Water thoroughly after planting seeds. Lettuce generally requires a lot of water. Keep you plants well irrigated unless you’re getting a decent amount of rain.
Harvesting your lettuce at the correct time is important for maximizing its flavor and texture. If you let your lettuce crop sit in the garden too long, it will increase in bitterness and the leaves will become tougher. Lettuce is generally ready to harvest about 80 days after planting with seeds and about 60 days after using seedlings. If you grow head lettuce, pull the entire plant from the soil. With leaf lettuce, simply remove the outer leaves allow the center leaves to continue to grow.
Always follow the directions on seed packets or plant tags for your specific plant variety.