lettuce-know more - General Gardening - International Cannagraphic Magazine Forums

dubwise · 02-25-2009, 02:38 AM

Hey I need to know something....I was recently at my local grow shop and the staff advised me that growing lettuce was kind of a "waste of time, resources and space"....now, I've been going in there for two years and they always have good advice and new techniques....the employee advised that lettuce was difficult to keep fresh after harvest. Has anyone here had good luck with lettuce? How long did it keep? Did it stay crisp, etc...? I'd love to get that going as well, but don't want to waste my time.

darkhollo · 02-25-2009, 02:26 PM

I grow lettuce and I'd say it's far from a waste of time. It's true that I've had issues keeping it, but I just pick what I want for a salad and no more. Also it helps to stagger your plantings.. aka perpetual harvest. Stagger each set of seeds by 2 weeks or more and you can have only a small amount that is ready.. so you aren't picking more than you can eat.

--dh

quadracer · 02-25-2009, 09:36 PM

at $2 a head at the local organic supermarket, it is worth it costwise to grow lettuce. $2 can get me a pack of organic seeds, then I can grow hundreds of lettuce-heads.

Once when it is harvested, the clock is ticking. You can store it in the fridge for a week, but using it fresh is the best way. If you have too much, give some away.

Perpetual lettuce harvest is pretty easy if you start another batch of seeds a couple weeks after the previous.

You can also get a better variety than is available at the supermarket.

dubwise · 02-26-2009, 02:23 AM

I never even thought of perpetual growing...thanks you two! I will get some seeds next week and get growing. Thanks again!

02-26-2009, 03:40 AM

Lettuce is far from a waste of time. It makes me appreciate the fact that I don't eat the tough lifeless crap in the bags at wal-mart. My stuff doesn't keep as well unless it goes right into the fridge, but I always have an endless supply to pick fresh.

dubwise · 02-26-2009, 04:01 AM

jack-i want what you're doing-how long from seed do they usually take? I do collards out side (so far unsuccessfully) and they can take a few months.

john cutter · 02-27-2009, 04:43 AM

it depends on the strain, try and find "little gem" it matures in 33 days, tastes great too.

quadracer · 02-28-2009, 12:48 AM

yeah lettuce will take anywhere from 30 to 50 days to mature, depending on the variety. There are many "Gourmet Blends" of lettuce seeds where 5 or so types are included.

dubwise · 02-28-2009, 10:02 PM

Awesome! I get off work Tuesday AM, and will head to my local garden supply shop and get a few different varieties. Thanks so much for the input, I am really excited about it.

Hydro-Soil · 03-27-2009, 08:12 PM

I have no idea what folks are talking about 'Mature' lettuce, unless they're talking about 'head' lettuces or growing a big plant of it like a large romaine stalk.

Lettuce is best when you just keep cropping it every few days. Never let it get to a 'head' form (which really is only convenient for transport purposes) and you'll have fresh salads for a long time.

02-25-2009, 02:38 AM	#1
dubwise in the thick of it Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: deep dark jungle Posts: 3,002	lettuce-know more Hey I need to know something....I was recently at my local grow shop and the staff advised me that growing lettuce was kind of a "waste of time, resources and space"....now, I've been going in there for two years and they always have good advice and new techniques....the employee advised that lettuce was difficult to keep fresh after harvest. Has anyone here had good luck with lettuce? How long did it keep? Did it stay crisp, etc...? I'd love to get that going as well, but don't want to waste my time.
	Quote

02-25-2009, 02:26 PM	#2
darkhollo Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 212	I grow lettuce and I'd say it's far from a waste of time. It's true that I've had issues keeping it, but I just pick what I want for a salad and no more. Also it helps to stagger your plantings.. aka perpetual harvest. Stagger each set of seeds by 2 weeks or more and you can have only a small amount that is ready.. so you aren't picking more than you can eat. --dh
	Quote

02-25-2009, 09:36 PM	#3
quadracer Master Composter Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 865	at $2 a head at the local organic supermarket, it is worth it costwise to grow lettuce. $2 can get me a pack of organic seeds, then I can grow hundreds of lettuce-heads. Once when it is harvested, the clock is ticking. You can store it in the fridge for a week, but using it fresh is the best way. If you have too much, give some away. Perpetual lettuce harvest is pretty easy if you start another batch of seeds a couple weeks after the previous. You can also get a better variety than is available at the supermarket. __________________ Don't panic! It's Organic! \| Peaceful Valley Farm Supply \| Soil Recipes \| Reuse your soil \| Foliar Feeding, a must do. \| Composters Unite! \| Worms 101 \| What True Compassion Looks Like What's in your nutrients?
	Quote

02-26-2009, 02:23 AM	#4
dubwise in the thick of it Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: deep dark jungle Posts: 3,002	I never even thought of perpetual growing...thanks you two! I will get some seeds next week and get growing. Thanks again!
	Quote

02-26-2009, 03:40 AM	#5
JackKerouac Guest Posts: n/a	Lettuce is far from a waste of time. It makes me appreciate the fact that I don't eat the tough lifeless crap in the bags at wal-mart. My stuff doesn't keep as well unless it goes right into the fridge, but I always have an endless supply to pick fresh.
	Quote

02-26-2009, 04:01 AM	#6
dubwise in the thick of it Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: deep dark jungle Posts: 3,002	jack-i want what you're doing-how long from seed do they usually take? I do collards out side (so far unsuccessfully) and they can take a few months.
	Quote

02-27-2009, 04:43 AM	#7
john cutter Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: international Posts: 222	it depends on the strain, try and find "little gem" it matures in 33 days, tastes great too. __________________ "Whilst the rich are getting a greater share of the wealth and the poor a lesser share, political enfranchisement remains one person one vote" - Citibank's Plutonomy memo
	Quote

02-28-2009, 12:48 AM	#8
quadracer Master Composter Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 865	yeah lettuce will take anywhere from 30 to 50 days to mature, depending on the variety. There are many "Gourmet Blends" of lettuce seeds where 5 or so types are included. __________________ Don't panic! It's Organic! \| Peaceful Valley Farm Supply \| Soil Recipes \| Reuse your soil \| Foliar Feeding, a must do. \| Composters Unite! \| Worms 101 \| What True Compassion Looks Like What's in your nutrients?
	Quote

02-28-2009, 10:02 PM	#9
dubwise in the thick of it Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: deep dark jungle Posts: 3,002	Awesome! I get off work Tuesday AM, and will head to my local garden supply shop and get a few different varieties. Thanks so much for the input, I am really excited about it.
	Quote

03-27-2009, 08:12 PM	#10
Hydro-Soil Banned Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: 10K feet above sea level... awesome! Posts: 7,263	I have no idea what folks are talking about 'Mature' lettuce, unless they're talking about 'head' lettuces or growing a big plant of it like a large romaine stalk. Lettuce is best when you just keep cropping it every few days. Never let it get to a 'head' form (which really is only convenient for transport purposes) and you'll have fresh salads for a long time.
	Quote