How To Grow Lettuce

Common Name: Lettuce

Indian Names: None

Botanical Name: Lactuca sativa

Vegetable Type: Leafy green

Varieties: Romaine, Crisphead, Butterhead, Iceberg

Lettuce is a crisp, green staple in any salad worldwide. It can also be used in sandwiches, wraps, and other freshly prepared foods. It can also be lightly grilled. The lettuce plant has also been used in medicine in folk methods. It is one of the main plants consumed in any weight loss diet, as it has almost zero calories and no fat. It is also extremely high in vitamin C and protein. Lettuce is also said to help alleviate insomnia. The main features of this plant are as follows.

NOTE: We have more than ten varieties of lettuce seeds available for online purchase in our store – delivered anywhere in India.

Plant Features

Life-Cycle: Annual

Height: Up to 80 cm

Width: Ranging from 15-30cm

Flowering season: 3-4 months after planting (around January – February)

Flowers: Small yellow blossoms

Foliage: Smooth light green leaves, with small white hairs uniformly covering

Planting/Growing Details

Sunlight: Partial sun, 3-4 hours of exposure to sunlight, with some shade as well

Water: Regular watering intervals, the soil needs to be moist for the plant to grow well

Sowing Season: Lettuce is a cool-season plant that grows well in temperate weather, so plant the seeds about 4-6 weeks before the end of the cool season.

Sowing Method: Plant the seeds 1cm deep, and depending on the variety of lettuce plant, space the seed from 15-25 cm apart. If there is a light frost in your climate, then start the seeds indoors, and transplant them outside once the frost is gone.

Care: One week before planting the seeds in the ground, work in some compost or organic material in the soil, to keep it well-fed to promote the fast growth of the lettuce seedlings. Lettuce requires a fertilizer which is high in humus and nitrogen. Choose a slow-acting fertilizer to apply to the soil three weeks after planting. The most important thing is to conserve the moisture of the soil. As the lettuce leaves are large, lots of water can be lost due to transpiration, so check your leaves regularly and water them when they look a little wrinkled or dry.

Pests: The usual pests which affect the lettuce crop are aphids, which can be prevented by regular watering soil inspection. White mold is a fungal disease which can affect your crop. This is usually caused by lack of oxygen, so keep your soil moist, but well drained as well.

Harvest: The lettuce crop is generally harvested when it is young, as the more mature the leaves get, the more bitter they get in taste. It is possible to harvest the leaves twice, by simply picking the outer leaves on the first harvest, letting the inner leaves grow, and cutting the entire plant the second time. This crop is usually harvested around 65-100 days after planting.

Propagation: Lettuce can be propagated by seeds or cuttings. When propagated using the latter method, a stem of length 15 cm needs to be planted in the ground, and watered, and the plant will begin to germinate. However, propagation by seeds is preferred as the yield is generally higher.

Lettuce is a plant which is extremely easy to grow, and is perfect for first-time gardeners who want to get a successful planting under their belt. It can also be grown along with flowers as it can adjust to space requirements. Its vibrant greens give a healthy look to any garden, and provide a healthy snack in any kitchen. So go ahead and enjoy your harvest of crisp, green lettuce!

NOTE: We have more than ten varieties of lettuce seeds available for online purchase in our store – delivered anywhere in India.