How to Grow Romaine Lettuce from Seed
It is estimated that each American consumes 25 pounds of lettuce per year. When one considers that the vegetable has little flavor, that figure is surprising. Lettuce is a healthy food, though, low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in fiber. Lettuce wasn't always popular. Five thousand years ago it was considered a weed in the Mediterranean basin, according to the experts at the Centers for Disease Control. Romaine lettuce, the main ingredient in a Caesar salad, is a crisp, dark green variety, with long, upright-growing leaves. Although it is a cool weather crop, it is more heat tolerant than other varieties. Plant the romaine lettuce seeds in early spring as soon as you can work the soil. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
-
-
1
Remove all weeds, rocks and other debris from the lettuce bed.
-
2
Loosen the soil by digging it up in a 1-foot-deep, 1-foot-square area. Crush the soil until it is powdery and no large clods remain.
-
-
3
Plant the romaine lettuce seeds 1/4 inch deep and 2 inches apart. Water the bed until it is moist and keep it moist until the lettuce sprouts, which should occur within seven to 10 days.
-
4
Plant additional seeds every two weeks to have lettuce throughout the growing season.
-
5
Thin the romaine lettuce plants to 8 inches apart when they reach 3 inches in height.
-
6
Fertilize the romaine lettuce seedlings when they reach 3 inches in height. To avoid burning the roots, sidedressing is the preferred method of fertilization. Dig a 2-inch deep trench, 6 inches alongside the row of lettuce plants. Sprinkle 1/4 pound of nitrogen in the bottom of the trench, fill it with soil and water to a depth of 6 inches.
-
7
Harvest individual romaine lettuce leaves, from the outside of the plant, as you need them during the season. Harvest the entire romaine lettuce plant 60 days after planting by cutting the stalk just above the soil.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
More Like This
Comments
-
going to start a salad garden this weekend. Tried something similar two summers ago but I didn't do it right...back then, I just put seeds in the ground and watered them, hoping they would grow. This time I'm doing some research. Anyone else tried this, any tips? I"ve got romaine, bib, spinach, and green onion seeds! Going to buy some tomato and cucumber plants this weekend! Any advice is appreciated!
