Lettuces are one of the earliest crops of spring. And they’re so easy to grow.
On a lot of Iowa farms, our grandparents grew just one kind of lettuce, a leaf lettuce called ‘Black Seeded Simpson.’ It was always prepared one way: Wilted lettuce salad with lots of bacon.
It was delicious, but these days there’s a whole world of lettuces that are interesting and inexpensive to grow. They are ready to harvest in about three weeks, don’t take much space, and are good for you—so have fun!
What Lettuces to Grow
Head lettuces, like a big head or romaine or iceberg, are tricky to grow, even in ideal conditions, and Iowa is not ideal. Ideal conditions for lettuce are what you find in the Pacific Northwest—steady, cool, moist, not unlike a giant refrigerator.
So in Iowa, stick to leaf-type lettuces. There are hundreds to choose from. I like the mescluns best, which are mixes of different types of lettuces. I also like red-leaved type (‘Rouge d’Hiver’ is a favorite) as well as the interesting Asian types (tatsoi is delicious). Or go old school and plant Amish ‘Deer Tongue’ lettuce.
You can find a wide variety of lettuce seeds at better-stocked garden centers. Or order online. Some excellent sources are Renee’s Garden and Johnny’s Selected Seeds.
How to Grow Lettuces
- All lettuces need full sun, at least 8 hours of direct, unfiltered light a day. Sure, some folks say they can take shade—and in some cases in Iowa lettuces will tolerate a little afternoon shade—but our northern sun is indirect enough that all our veggies usually need all the sun they can get.
- Lettuces like rich, loose soil. Work plenty of compost into the soil at planting time. (Raised beds are ideal for lettuces since the soil thaws early and you can create excellent soil in them.)
- Plant in early spring, a week or two after you can easily work the soil. Lettuces thrive in cool weather. Replant small batches every two weeks thereafter to ensure longer harvest times. I’d stop planting in May.
- Keep well watered for the most tender, flavorful lettuces. Water-stressed lettuces tend to be bitter.
- With those later plantings, choose lettuces that bill themselves as “heat-tolerant” so they don’t go bitter in the heat, the way lettuces can.
- In early September, try your hand at a fall planting of lettuces. If the weather is hot, germination can be iffy. Or you may enjoy yet more delicious lettuce!
How to Harvest Lettuces
- It’s critical to harvest lettuces young, before they bolt—that is, start getting long stalks. At that point, they are bitter and should be pulled out.
- I like to harvest leaf lettuces with the cut-and-come-again method: Just cut off the leaves when they’re a few inches tall to about 1 inch high. They’ll grow back 2 or 3 times. No additional seed or planting time needed.
- Wash the heck out of lettuces. Plunge the lettuces in a pan or sink of cold water and let sit for about five minutes to remove any insects. Then rinse multiple times and spin in a salad spinner, or on towels on the countertop. (Dressing sticks best to dry lettuce.)