The Southwest Blend Magazine guide to growing lettuce and companion plants for lettuce.

How to Grow Lettuce
Companion Plants
Back to Lettuce Home Page

  Lettuce is an easy crop for most of the country, but in the Southwest, especially the desert areas, it can be a challenge. However, having a steady crop of fresh lettuce at your fingertips is worth the effort and you can grow lettuce in the desert.
  If you are in the warmer areas of the southwest, choose varieties that have the shortest number of days to harvest so you have the benefit of several crops before the heat of summer. The days to harvest begin with direct seeding--not germination.
  Tip: Put your lettuce seeds in the refrigerator 4-5 days before planting--this will help with germination during the warmer weather.
 

Planting Lettuce: You can plant lettuce from mid-August through February or when the temperature range is from 40-90° (F).
Lettuce loves soil enriched with compost or manure and needs a lot of light to germinate, so only cover your seeds with ¼ inch of soil. Plant about 1" apart. Lettuce also require a lot of moisture, so cover your seeds with a thin layer of burlap or cheesecloth and water carefully through the cloth to keep the seeds in place.
  If you are planting seedling, plant them from mid-September to mid-February. Depending on the variety of lettuce, plant them from 6" to 12" apart. You can save 10-15 days off the harvest time by using seedlings. If you do plant your seedlings in summer, you will need to provide some shade.
Watering Lettuce: For sweet lettuce, you need to keep your soil moist at all times. If the soil is allowed to dry it will slow down the growth of the lettuce and cause the lettuce to taste bitter. Applying 4-6" of mulch will help to keep the soil evenly moist--but don't let the mulch touch the lettuce stems.
Feeding Lettuce: Fish emulsion applied every two weeks during late fall, winter and early spring will give you a good, healthy crop of lettuce. Tip: Liquid seaweed used during the warmest months will help your lettuce tolerate the heat. Make sure to keep your mulch layer thick to help the soil stay cool.
Harvesting Lettuce: If you have started your crop with direct seeding, you can harvest the thinning. You should always harvest lettuce by taking the outer leaves from several plants. This permits the head to keep producing. When the lettuce head is mature, you can cut it off but leave about two inches above the soil. You may get another crop this way. Tip: Harvest your lettuce in the early morning, rinse it and put it into the refrigerator and your lettuce will stay crisper, juicier and taste sweeter.
Pests: Lettuce attracts aphids, caterpillars, slugs and snails.