Are you looking forward to growing different fruits and vegetables in your backyard? One of the vegetables you may want to start growing is lettuce. Growing your own is much better than spending money on lettuce at the store.
When you have plenty of lettuce heads growing, you can create all kinds of salad, wraps, and more. If you are ready to start the growing process, check out the useful tips below. Here is how to grow lettuce in your backyard.
Choose the Right Time to Plant Your Lettuce
Make sure to choose the right time to begin planting your lettuce. The leafy vegetable does best in cooler weather. It is a good idea to start growing your seedlings at the beginning of Spring or Fall.
You may live in an area where it does not get too hot throughout the year. In that case, your lettuce may do exceptionally well during any season.
Check out my series on What to Plant Each Month:
Select the Perfect Spot to Start Growing the Lettuce
Choose a decent spot to grow your lettuce. If you want the seedlings to thrive, you need to provide them with a site with plenty of sun. A sunny spot with minimal shade is the ideal choice for lettuce.
If you have an area where the sun shines bright, and no trees are blocking it, choose that spot for growing lettuce. It is okay if there is a bit of shade over the area, but the goal is to make sure the sun regularly beats on the seedlings. This is a great tip for learning how to grow lettuce in your backyard.
Lettuce will do wonderfully in both raised bed gardens and pots!
Vegetables in Pots the Best Veggies to Grow in Containers
Raised Garden Bed Benefits
Get Your Soil Ready to Use
Use a brand of soil that stays moist to keep the seedlings in perfect condition. I prefer to make my own DIY Soil Mix but Jiffy Natural & Organic Seed Starter Mix is a good choice when adding soil to your backyard. It is excellent for those who are just getting started with planting seedlings.
Another good type of soil to use for growing lettuce is the Miracle-Gro Garden Soil for Vegetables and Herbs. You may even want to blend these two soils to create the perfect consistency for optimal growth. Using the right soil for your lettuce seedlings is a must.
If you provide the right conditions, your seeds will turn into large lettuce heads in no time.
Awesome Soil Amendments for Your Organic Vegetable Garden
Begin Planting the Lettuce Seeds in the Soil
Lettuce Seed Varieties to Consider
After you make or purchase your soil and spread it out in a specific section of the backyard, start planting your lettuce seeds. You can put the seeds in a row. Take a tape measure with you to ensure that you are spreading the seeds out in a row for about ten feet.
If you’re using the Square Foot Gardening Method you can plant up to 4 leaf lettuces per square. I like to use a Seed-Sowing Template in my garden.
Once you get to that mark, start your next row. Be sure to separate the rows of seedlings by about 18 inches. You will need to use your tape measure again to make sure that you are leaving enough space between the seeds.
After putting the seeds on the soil, add a small bit of soil on top of them. You will only need to place a thin layer of soil over the seedlings for minimal coverage.
These seedlings need to receive lots of sunlight to grow and thrive, so you do not want to block it. If you put too much soil over the seedlings, it is difficult for the lettuce to grow.
Start to Water Your Lettuce Seedlings
When you first plant the lettuce seedlings, you should provide them with a bit of water each day. You may want to add the water at the beginning of the day before the sun reaches its peak. Mark two weeks on your calendar.
At the end of the two weeks, you no longer need to water the lettuce seedlings daily. You can start watering the seedlings twice per week. When you begin this bi-weekly watering process, it is best to do the watering on the same days each week.
Choose designated days and times to go to the backyard with your watering can and add water to your seedlings.
Know When to Harvest Your Lettuce
When following the right steps, you may notice that lettuce grows rather quickly compared to other types of plants. You may see large leaves sprouting from the ground within a month. You do not need to harvest the lettuce as soon as it starts popping up from the soil.
It is better to wait until it reaches its fullest potential. Most types of lettuce will sprout into the perfect size within two months. Keep a watchful eye on your backyard garden to decide when you want to grab the lettuce and bring it inside.
Extra Tips to Know When Growing Lettuce in the Backyard
There are a few extra tips to know that can help you grow lots of lettuce in your backyard. These are a few tips you should know before you get started:
- Adding compost to the soil is an option. Compost helps with the drainage process. It will also provide your seedlings with essential nutrients to encourage healthy growth.
- It is often possible to reharvest an additional head of lettuce after cutting a head of lettuce from the soil. You would need to continue adding water to the area to keep it moist.
- The speed of growth depends on different factors, including the type of lettuce you choose to grow. Other variations of lettuce include butter, romaine, and iceberg lettuce.
- Never put too much water on your seedlings while growing lettuce. If you add too much water, you will damage the crops. The lettuce will not grow in the way that it should.
Growing assorted types of lettuce in your backyard is a wise decision to make. Why purchase it from a grocery store when you can grow it at home and use it? You may use lettuce on sandwiches and in salads, making it a great leafy vegetable to grow.
When you plan on growing lettuce in the backyard, make sure you have an excellent spot to do so. Your seedlings will need moist soil and plenty of sunlight to thrive.
If you can provide the perfect environment for the seedlings, you can have full lettuce heads in your backyard within two months.
What tips would you add to this list for how to grow lettuce in your backyard?
More How to Grow in Your Backyard Tips
- Growing Tomatoes At Home
- How to Grow Strawberries
- Growing Artichokes at Home
- How to Grow Scallions
- Growing Corn in Your Backyard
- How to Grow Potatoes
- Grow Your Own Garlic
- How to Grow 8 Awesome Herbs Indoors All Year Long
- Easy to Grow Vegetables
I love planting lettuce and spinach year-round. There is nothing better than growing your own lettuce! AND it’s so easy!!
Absolutely! And don’t you find the flavor is so much better when grown at home?