Growing Lettuce

GROW YOUR OWN LETTUCE

Crispy, green/crimson-red colored lettuce is one of the incredible leafy vegetables packed with essential nutrients that benefit overall general health. You can find lettuce in sandwiches and subs or in elaborate salads with other veggies as well. Choose the right varieties and you can have lettuce almost all year round. There are so many types of lettuce to choose from – all with different colours, flavours and textures – that salad need never be boring! There are two main types of lettuce – hearting lettuces have a dense centre, while loose-leaf lettuces have open leaves and no heart. You can also grow a variety of salad leaves that can be picked while young and tender.

Types of  Lettuces 

• Butter-head lettuces- Have an open habit, are quick-maturing and tolerate poorer growing conditions.Cos types have an upright growth habit and oblong head.
• Crisp-head lettuces- Produce large hearts of curled and crisp leaves and are more resistant to bolting (going to seed prematurely); this group includes iceberg lettuces.
• ‘Little Gem’ AGM- This is a Cos lettuce with small solid heads and produces a sweet, crisp heart. It has good resistance to root aphid.
• ‘Set’ AGM- A crisp head lettuce, this is easy to grow and produces large, solid hearts with crisp green leaves.
• 'Tom Thumb'- A small butter head lettuce perfect for growing in small spaces. It matures early and has soft leaves with a mild taste.
• ‘Nymans’ AGM- A Cos lettuce with deep read outer leaves and a rich green heart.

Sowing And Planting

• Choose a sunny or partly shaded spot, and prepare the soil by digging over, removing stones and then mixing in well-rotted manure or garden compost. This will add nutrients and help the soil retain moisture. Rake to leave a fine finish.
• Seeds often come in ready-mixed packets, so you can recreate your favourite supermarket salad mix.
• Sow seeds in short rows about 30cm (12in) apart. To do this, make a shallow trench with a cane about 1.5cm (1/2in) deep. Tip a small amount of seed into your hand, take a pinch and spread thinly along the trench. Cover with soil, label and water.
• When the seedlings are about 2cm (1in) tall, thin them out to give them space to grow. The distance will depend on variety, but is usually between 15cm (6in) and 30cm (12in).
• Keep soil just moist. This is particularly important when the lettuces are one or two weeks away from harvesting, as dry soil will cause the plants to put their energy into producing flowers.
• In Containers-lettuces are easy to grow in containers and window boxes. Simply fill it with a mix of potting compost and sow seeds as above.

Harvesting And Storage

• Harvest leaves from cut-and-come again lettuces when plants are about 5cm (2in) high, or allow the plants to grow to about 15cm and cut the whole head off leaving a 3cm (1in) stump - a new plant should soon re-sprout.
• Loose-leaf lettuces need to have leaves harvested regularly to remain productive, while traditional lettuces are harvested by severing at the base or by pulling the whole plant up from the ground.
• Because lettuce and other salad greens are very perishable, they should be used within one week.

Few Health Benefits Of Lettuce

• Curing Anaemia- Lettuce contains considerable amount of iron and supplies a good form of vegetable haemoglobin. It can, therefore, be used as a good tonic food for anaemia.
• Curing Insomnia-  Lettuce is beneficial in the treatment of insomnia as it contains a sleep inducing substance called 'lectucarium'.
• Curing Chronic Constipation- As lettuce is rich in cellulose, it increases the bulk of the intestinal contents and encourages peristalsis (Intestinal movement). It is, therefore, highly beneficial in curing chronic constipation.
• Vitamin C- Lettuce contains Vitamin C is a powerful natural antioxidant; regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radical.

Mixed Lettuce Salad with Cucumber Herb Vinaigrette Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 small clove garlic
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cups Red Oak or other red leaf lettuce
• 2 cups Freckles or other baby romaine
• 1/2 cup sliced radishes
• 4 scallions, sliced2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

Preparation

• To prepare vinaigrette- Puree cucumber, oil, vinegar, chives, parsley, yogurt, mustard, horseradish, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth.
• To prepare salad- Season a wooden salad bowl by rubbing with garlic and pinch of salt. Chop the garlic and add to the bowl along with all the lettuce. 
• Pour the vinaigrette over the greens; toss to coat. 
• Serve the salad garnished with radishes, scallions and hard-boiled egg.