Tips for Growing Lettuces and Salad Mix

Michelle | April 21st, 2012

Growing lettuce and salad mix is fairly simple and can be done in small spaces, including pots. Right now I am growing a mix in a fairly small pot. If only the robins would leave it alone, I suspect I’ll be able to harvest in the next few weeks! I also spent time growing salad mix for a market garden operation.

Lettuces and greens growing on my porch

Keep the following in mind when planning and planting your lettuce bed:

Lettuces and greens are cool weather crops. They tend to bolt (go to seed) much more quickly in high heat and direct sun. Both do well in semi-shade or even mostly shade and certainly prefer spring and fall weather.

The easiest way to manage a variety of lettuces and greens for a salad mix are in swaths of separate varieties in six inch rows separated by enough room for a stirrup hoe (available in three and six inch widths). Weeds are much easier to both see and remove with this layout and harvesting is simpler due to a more consistent size in the lettuces. Another benefit of keeping the two separate is during harvest when a desired balance between the two tastes can be measured.

Maintenance includes weeding, watering, successive sowing, and weekly harvesting. Weeding is a particular concern, as weeds in the final product are undesirable (if for sale) and can sneak their way into a mix. It is also a meticulous process since the lettuces are very fragile and shallow rooted. On the other hand, many weeds are wild edibles and add nutrition, flavor and interest to the mix. Just make sure you know what you are harvesting!

Some wild edibles that are great in a salad mix include chickweed, amaranth, wild chives, and violet leaves.

Lettuce and green seeds can be sown on a rotational schedule to extend the season. This is called successive planting. They generally do best in spring and fall. If you create a cool microclimate (for instance in a food forest), then the summer is fair game too.

5 Steps to Growing Lettuces & Salad Mix

Michelle | April 18th, 2012

Growing lettuce and salad mix is very easy and can be done in the smallest of spaces. It is also a great crop to grow fresh since the shelf life is quite short. It is also a fairly high demand vegetable for restaurants, making it a possible cash crop for small growers and permaculturists. Check out these 5 steps to growing lettuce below:

1) The first thing to do is find seeds! Some factors you may want to consider when purchasing lettuce and green seeds include: cost; organic or heirloom status; color and flavor of greens; local adaptability; and best growing season for different varieties. If your climate tends to be hot or the spot where you will grow the lettuce is direct sun, look for “slow to bolt” varieties for best results.

There are also pre-made mixes available, though these have a few drawbacks. First is that brassicas and lettuces are easiest to manage when they are separated. Brassicas have specific pest problems that lettuces do not have and the germination and growing times of each are different. When cutting for a salad mix, it is best to cut the whole swath and so if you have some short lettuces and some taller, it will be difficult to do.

2) Prepare the soil as for any other seed, with the exception of adding additional organic matter (this is not necessary since the lettuces are harvested when young). It is good practice to make sure there are not rocks or coarse debris on the soil surface.

3) Sow the seeds evenly, pat down and cover with a very thin layer of soil. This should then be “watered in” with a light misting hose or watering can.

To grow lettuces that will be allowed to grow to full size, prepare the soil as above but rather than spreading the seed, sow just a few seeds per hole.

4) Watering twice a day is generally needed, though good practice is to check the soil. When watering, it is best to do it early in the morning or in the evening. Also be cautious about watering the leaves, they are more prone to burning when wet so water low.

5) Harvesting happens when the leaves seem big enough to eat. To have repeat harvests, be sure to harvest above the growth point. Cut and grow lettuces generally can be harvested 3 times before the nutrients and quality begins to go down.

Green Deer Tongue, Strela green, and Black-seeded Simpson varieties of lettuce grown by me for market. Note the space left between varieties for a small stirrup hoe to make for easier weed management.

Be sure to read Tips for Growing Lettuces and Salad Mix!

Permaculture Design Certificate Course

Juliette | December 29th, 2010

This is a reminder… exactly one month until the PDC, register NOW to join us at the Phipps Garden Center!

6 WEEKENDS (January to April 2011):
Jan 29-30; Feb 12-13, 26-27; Mar 12-13, 26-27; Apr 2, 9:00am to 4:30pm

– Earn your internationally recognized Permaculture Design Certification!
– Share 6 weekends immersed in a fun, supportive learning environment!
– Increase your understanding of local ecosystems and your confidence in ecological design
– Experience a thorough, on-site, permaculture design from start to finish for a historic landmark
located in an urban setting
– Learn practical skills to nourish your landscape, home, community
– Visit rural and urban examples of permaculture systems
– Empower yourself to create positive, regenerative changes in your life, your landscape, and your
community

Course Topics:
Permaculture Ethics & Principles
Observation & Ecological Design
Site Analysis & Assessment
Edible Forest Gardens
Water Harvesting
Natural Building
Compost & Soil Building
Greenhouse & Bioshelter Design
Mapping, Surveying, & Presentation
Group Design Projects & Design Charettes
Transition Town Movement

Fee:$770 members, $850 non-members

Lead Instructors:
Darrell Frey of Three Sisters Farm and Bioshelter
Elizabeth Lynch of Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
Juliette Jones of Pittsburgh Permaculture

For more information or to register, call the Garden Center at (412) 441-4442 ext. 3925. Or visit the Phipps website to download a registration form.

Be your own landscape designer! This intensive weekend course will teach you the secrets of ecological design; learn how to garden like nature! Capture and store water on your site, reducing irrigation costs; build soil and use plants that mulch, reducing your need for artificial fertilizers; and design more sustainable garden systems, reducing your maintenance and maximizing the yield and aesthetics of your property. Visit local examples of permaculture design, use mapping and site analysis tools and complete a guided design project. This course will challenge both beginning designers and experienced gardeners alike.
Permaculture design is rooted in agriculture and horticulture, yet is far reaching and interdisciplinary in nature, making connections to city planning, ecology, architecture, and appropriate technology. This course covers the foundations of ecological design and addresses how these concepts can be applied to both urban and rural settings in order to create regenerative landscapes.

Pittsburgh Permaculture