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Grow Crispy Lettuce All Summer With These Container Gardening Tips
By CAITLIN CASTELAZ
Lettuce has shallow roots, so it’s perfect for growing in containers. It also needs to be protected from weather extremes, which is easier if it’s in a planter that can be moved.
Select lettuce varieties that will do well in your garden, then sow your seeds shallowly in a slightly sandy soil mix, adding perlite for good drainage and compost for nutrients.
Use harvesting methods that extend the lifespan and increase the yield of your lettuce variety, and sow new seeds every few weeks to accommodate the time leaves take to regrow.
When the weather gets warmer, lettuce reproduces by sending up a flower spike and going to seed. This is called bolting, and the lettuce stops growing new leaves and turns bitter.
To prevent bolting, plant in early spring and autumn (except for heat-tolerant varieties), and move the planters to a partially shaded area where the air and soil will stay cool.
Water consistently and don’t overcrowd planters, as lettuce will go to seed faster if forced to compete for nutrients. Reducing stressors like disease or pests also delays bolting.