Lettuce, Lactuca sativa: "The Garden Gem"
One of our oldest cultivated foods, lettuce and its wild cousins have served humans for thousands of years as medicine, religious symbol, narcotic, virility booster, and kitchen delicacy. The Roman emperor Augustus even erected a statue in honor of lettuce's pain-killing properties.
Above: See more images of Lettuce and Edible Gardens in our Gardenista Gallery.
To procure your own salad bar in the backyard, try planting at least one or two of each of the four main types of lettuce: romaine, looseleaf, butterhead, and heading. An easy crop to grow, lettuce is a seed saver's delight. You can pick from hundreds of heirloom varieties to match your lettuce to your climate, color preferences, and tastes.
Above: Tom Thumb is an American heirloom, dating to the 1850s. It matures from seed to salad in, making small cabbage shaped green heads that are about 4 inches in diameter.
Cheat Sheet:
- Ruffly leaves make it an attractive front-of-the-bed companion to flowers
- An annual; hardy in all growing zones
- Resistant to frost and can fill holes in the early spring garden
Keep It Alive:
- Prefers moist, well-drained soil.
- Grows in both full sun or partial shade.
- Bolts quickly in hot weather.
Above: Photograph by Jamie Beck.
Lettuce seeds don't germinate well after the temperature reaches 80 degrees, but luckily they don't need light to geminate; start them in a cool, shady spot or in a cold frame. Plant in early spring, and keep planting in small amounts every seven to ten days until midsummer for a steady supply.
Above: Floating islands; garden beds of rare lettuces by French landscape architects Atelier Altern.
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Are you planning your spring garden? Make a spot for Carrots and Tulsi Basil. And browse our Field Guide for other ideas and growing tips.
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