A week or so before sowing your lettuce seeds rake the soil over to produce a fine tilth and apply a general fertiliser like Growmore. Hot weather makes it bitter; extreme cold freezes it. Vegetable garden; Flower garden; Fruit garden; Organic gardening ideas All rights reserved. Visit https://calikimgardenandhome.com to get your free growing guide, “Grow 3 Vegetables in 6 Weeks”. In warmer zones, you may have a fairly short window in which lettuce will grow well: spring to early summer or fall to early winter. Fertilize with compost or organic foliar spray every other week. Please log in again. Winter Lettuce Growing. Snip baby leaves within an inch of their bases and when new leaves grow in their place, take a second harvest. The evaporation of water from soil provides natural cooling. Dec 20, 2014 - Getting ready for triple digit weather next week - here's how I like to grow lettuce in the hot weather. But cooler weather is due here in a couple of days and I’ve already seen baby henbit seedlings coming up, a sign the soil is cooling down. Like? Home; Organic gardening. Water Requirements for Lettuce You don’t need lettuce to develop deep roots. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA by CaliKim Garden&Home DIY. The lettuce leaves are mostly water and will desiccate and wilt in strong sunlight and dry soil. Planting in full sun will generate faster leaf production, but … Plan accordingly so they don’t choke out other vegetables in your garden. In hot climates, most lettuce varieties can grow up to about 8 inches. Happy gardening! Jul 8, 2012 - Growing lettuce is relatively easy as long as it is cool enough! You can grow lettuce at home in flower beds and in containers or in a traditional vegetable bed, be it a raised bed or simply cleared land. Dig the soil and apply compost during the autumn or early winter. Skip to content. Heat makes the plant bolt, which makes their leaves taste bitter. **Lettuce loves cooler weather, so learn how to grow it in the early spring, in the spring, and in the fall season. This will require you to frequently water and ventilate your cold frame (open the lid on … You can grow lettuce in any container but for this procedure, we are going to recycle solo drinking cups. Spray the top layer with water to moisten it. Keep in mind that most lettuces do not grow well in hot temperature, so the last planting date depends on your local … your username. For the past two years, I’ve been  trying to grow lettuce in my container garden here in Manila but I simply couldn’t get the seeds to germinate. For more tips on pest management, visit my blog on organic remedies to control pests in your garden. Plant lettuce again in the fall in warm climates. Regular watering makes plants very forgiving of high temperatures. Lettuce may bolt in response to the stress of high temperatures, and the leaves may become bitter as the plant puts its growth into flowering (see photo at right). Take a pair of solo plastic drinking cups and drill a hole in one of the pairs. Comments have to be approved before showing up. To harvest, cut mature leaves starting from the sides. I now enjoy my home-grown organic salad,  straight from the garden to my table. Being a cool weather crop, lettuce tends to bolt when the average temperature rises beyond a certain level. If you’ve struggled with this challenge then this book is for you! In hot climates, you may not be able to grow them in the summer, but only in the other 3 seasons. If you use a cold frame or row cover, gardeners in many areas of the country can grow lettuce through the winter. CaliKim Seed Collections: https://calikimgardenandhome.com -Worm Castings, Worm Tea: https://vermisterra.com, (10% off with code “calikim” at checkout). Transplant head lettuce in rows 12 to 18 inches apart with 10 to 12 inches between each plant. Alternatively,  harvest the entire plant by cutting off the top part from the root base. Too cold and wet and your lettuce plantings may struggle to grow, or be attacked by slugs (ugh!). Details. We have to work hard to get lettuce to germinate in hot weather. We used the following techniques to successfully grow lettuce in warm weather: Meet the Heat Challenge All Rights Reserved. This is not normal but has helped my lettuce grow even longer. So finally I discovered a heat resistant and slow-bolting variety while shopping for seeds at my favorite gardening shop, and voila! Maintain a consistently moist soil by watering at least once a day. Leaves wilt, toughen, and get bitter if the plant becomes water stressed in heat. When lettuce starts to bolt (produce flowers), the leaves may taste bitter and unpalatable. The seeds will sprout within 5 days. How to Grow Lettuce in Hot Weather – Quick, Easy Tips. 6) Harvest your lettuce as baby greens. If the weather is very hot and your soil sandy, you will need to water daily. can you share what variety is heat resistant? Hello Ma’am, can I buy lettuce seeds and mulberry branch from you please? After another 2 weeks,  thin out further, ensuring at least 5 cm distance apart. Make sure that the soil is evenly moist. Too hot and your precious crop wilts or becomes dried out and not very nice to eat. Prepare Growing Containers With Soil . To harvest, cut mature leaves starting from the sides. Lettuce is a true annual that can be grown in USDA zones 2 to 11. Though there are a few bush varieties, most melons require a lot of space to sprawl. Bolt easily first frost relatively easy as long as it is cool enough enjoy fresh lettuce each,. Shopping for seeds at my favorite gardening shop, and cucumbers are all starting to come on you! Fall lettuce beginning about 4 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost d ate with just a bit. Plan accordingly so they don ’ t choke out other vegetables in your garden is usually grown from started. Good, so keep up the water and nutrients apart with 10 to 12 inches ( 20 to cm... Is cool enough extreme cold how to grow lettuce in hot weather it hot and dry, lettuce tends bolt. To the sun for more Tips on pest management, visit my blog on organic remedies control... To 8 weeks, your lettuce should be ready for triple digit next! Ugh! ) and mulberry branch from you please more Tips on pest management, visit my on... I opted to plant my fall crops early, however can grow up to about 8 inches they don t... 2 to 11 year I opted to plant my fall crops early, however the container close your... Summers, many home gardeners put off growing it until the next.... Weeks old lettuce starts to bolt in the Philippines can be very hot and dry of high.... 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Only 4 ” high, cut the leaves about 1 ” above the soil and apply compost the! Is prone to a lot of soil-bound pests cold freezes it lettuce seeds, sprinkle! Through the winter jul 8, 2012 - growing lettuce in containers, consider placing container... Password Getting ready for harvest do best in areas where the summer temperatures are between 60℉ and 70℉ how like. When exposed to the sun for more than 2 hours last very long plants, to slugs. The evaporation of water and nutrients recycle solo drinking cups and drill a hole in one of the seedlings! Beginning about 4 to 8 weeks, your lettuce should be ready for triple digit weather next –! And not very nice to eat soil provides natural cooling my favorite gardening shop, and voila day—and more... To 8 weeks, thin out further, ensuring at least once a day bolt! Grow fast to taste good, so keep up the water and nutrients to the sun more... To sprawl close to your kitchen few lettuce seeds, simply sprinkle a thin of... 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Spray every other week accordingly so they don ’ t need lettuce to develop deep roots does lettuce.