Grow Luscious Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Jay White

Lettuce is a very interesting crop to me. Most people I know eat a ton of it. However, I have never had anyone tell me that lettuce is their favorite vegetable of all time. In fact, if you asked ten people to name their favorite vegetables, I am willing to bet that lettuce would not make anyone’s list. At its best, lettuce is a just an exceptional supporting character. While you won’t find many recipes that feature lettuce, we all know that our salads and sandwiches are much better when lettuce is a part of them.

Lettuce may not be your favorite food but it sure makes a lot of your favorite foods better!

People have been eating lettuce for a very long time. Scientists believe that lettuce was domesticated about 5000 years ago in ancient Egypt. Sometime around that time period, the Egyptians started turning a weed whose seeds they used for oils and medicines into a leafy food source. The Egyptians eventually shared lettuce with the Greeks and the Greeks eventually shared it with the Romans. In fact, the term “lettuce” came from the Roman name for the plant “lactuca”.

Since lettuce readily cross pollinates, breeders have built a wide array of varieties

Since lettuce cross pollenates easily, breeders have produced a wide array of plant types and colorations. Lettuce types range from loose, frilly leaved varieties to the tight balls of leaves you see in iceberg lettuce. Lettuce coloration can vary from pale green to deep burgundy with some varigations that have both colors. Because of this range of colors and forms I use lettuce as an ornamental as much as I do for its nutritive qualities. Lettuce is generally broken up into seven categories based on leaf structure and use. These categories are leaf, romaine, crisphead, butterhead, summercrisp, stem and oilseed. Seeds of the first five are readily available to the home gardener.

Lettuce’s many colors and textures make it as useful in the flower bed as it is in the kitchen garden. Photo by Patty Leander

Growing Lettuce – Lettuce is a great crop for the beginning gardener. It is fairly easy to grow and it is quick to harvest. However, lettuce does have a couple of problems you need to be aware of before you plant. First, lettuce of all types hates high heat. Sustained temperatures over 75 degrees will make lettuce “bolt”. Bolting is a term that is used to describe the process where some trigger (heat or stress like drought, weed competition or pests) makes the leafy, edible plant we eat produce a tall stalk that flowers and seeds. Once this happens lettuce leaves become tough and bitter. Second, just about every pest known to the gardener likes lettuce as much as we do. Be aware that if you grow lettuce for many seasons you will eventually have problems with mammals, bugs, bacteria and viruses.

Baby lettuce in a square foot garden. Photo by Bruce Leander

Here are some basics for growing lettuce. In addition to cool temperatures (45 to 75 F are preferred by most varieties), most lettuce prefers a soil that is slightly acidic. Most lettuce varieties do best in soils with a pH of 6.5 to 6.8. With so much crossbreeding going on with lettuce you can find varieties that will tolerate more alkaline soils. Lettuce also likes loose, nitrogen rich soil. Since the plants have a relatively small root system they need ample water and nutrition in the soil to help them thrive. Also, even though many varieties will tolerate some shade, most prefer at least 6 hours of sunlight a day.

When it comes time to plant remember that lettuce seeds actually need light to germinate. Because of this, cover them lightly with soil when you plant. If you plant the seeds too deeply they will never germinate. When I grow romaine or heading type lettuces I start my plants indoors in coir pellets around the first week of September. I then transplant them in late September or early October. I place my transplants about a foot apart for head types and six inches apart for upright types. Lettuce that is planted too close together deprives the plants of sunlight they need to thrive and also invites in a large number of pests.

I use lettuce to line the beds of my potager

When planting leaf type lettuce I direct sow the seeds in my garden beds. I dig a shallow furrow with my Cobrahead Hand Hoe and then sprinkle the little seeds down the row. Once the seeds germinate I thin to allow at least 6” between plants. Lettuce needs sunlight to develop color and nutrients. Lettuce that is planted too closely together will be stunted, pale and low in nutrients.

When trying to establish seeds it is important to keep your seed bed consistently moist. Since these little seeds were basically planted on top of the ground, their first roots are often exposed to air. If your seed beds are too dry, these little roots will dry out and die.

Lettuce does not compete well with weeds. Keep your beds weed free to ensure the best quality lettuce. Photo by Bruce Leander

Once your little plants are established you want to keep the area around them weed free. Lettuce has a small root system. Most plants only have some type of small taproot and then a few lateral roots. Weeds can easily suck up the moisture that these plants need to thrive. Also, if lettuce feels stress from weeds it will begin to bolt.

Since most varieties of lettuce are ready to harvest in about 45 days you should not need to fertilize if you plant in a bed that has been well worked with organic material. However, if you want the biggest and greenest leaves possible you can provide a weekly supplement of compost tea or other liquid organic product. If using a commercial product (like Miracle grow), mix the solution at half the recommended rate and apply weekly.

Lettuce is plagued by a variety of pests. Once your plants are established begin to watch for bug damage or signs of disease

Once your plants become established begin to watch for problems. Bunnies love lettuce and so do many different caterpillars and bugs. If bugs become a problem you can apply a translucent row cover to help keep them away. Diseases are a different matter. There are several bacterial and viral agents that can attack your lettuce crop. These agents can cause leaf wilt, leaf spot, curled leaves, rot and even death. If you believe you have a virus or bacterial infection you need to remove the plants as soon as possible.

Since lettuce is a cool season plant you always have to be prepared to manage unexpected freezing temperatures. Luckily, even though lettuce is about 96% water, it is a fairly hardy plant. Most varities can survive temperatures as low as 28 without much damage. If it is going to get colder than that you will need to cover them. While some varieties can take a freeze down to 24 degrees, temps this cold will burn the leaves of almost all varieties. To extended their life as long as possible in cold weather, mulch heavily and set up hoops so you can easily apply row cover.

One more thing, lettuce is a great container plant. I love growing lettuce in containers because I can keep them close to my house for easy harvest and so I can easily bring them inside when temperatures plummet. With so many textures and colors it is easy to make lovely and edible potted arrangements to keep by the back door. Plus, if you plant the leafy or romaine types, you can snip off the outer leaves for smaller harvests and keep the same plants producing for months.

This post has been shared on the Homestead Barn Hop. Hops are great way for you to connect with and learn from some of the best bloggers on the web. Be sure to check them out!

Plant Happiness – A Mural for the Guest House

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Jay White

Funny how some of the smallest things in life make the biggest impact. Last year my wife bought a dish towel to hang on our oven door. This towel had an embroidered bouquet of flowers with “Plant Happiness” stitched above it. Something about that dish towel made my wife and her best friend (Margaret Hartley) decide that the back wall of our little guest house would be the perfect place for us to paint a mural that featured that cute little phrase.

Sally and I are so thankful to Kat Hartley for our making of al mural dreams come true!

To make our “mural dream” come true, we hired Austin artist and graphic designer Kat Hartley. Kat is the daughter of Sally’s best friend (and “partner in wild ideas”). Sally has known Kat all of her life. We were totally blessed that the tiny little blond girl with the sweetest little voice ever grew up to become a beautiful and talented young woman with so many gifts and skills.

The process begins!

Kat came for a visit to get a feel for us and our property. Then she sent us sketches back and forth so we would have a basic idea of what to expect. Her designs were AWESOME and we could not wait for her to get started! Kat showed up this past Friday evening ready to work. After setting up some scaffolding she started the process of transforming the tiny little sketch that we agreed on into a great big mural. We had so much fun sitting under the stars, sipping wine, listening to good music and watching her work.

Thank goodness Kat had awesome friends to help her knock or mural out in record time!

Getting the sketch on the wall was the easy part. Since she did it at night, it was cool and enjoyable. However, Saturday was a different story. I swear it was 120 degrees by 10:00 am! We felt so sorry for her painting out there in the hot Texas sun. Luckily Kat had two INCREDIBLY GOOD friends that came to help her knock out the heavy lifting. Michael Brown and Yasaswi Paruchi met Kat in Japan where they all went after college to teach English to rural Japanese school children. Together again, they laughed, joked, sang, danced and painted! To keep them from passing out we brought them lots of iced mint tea, sunscreen and big floppy hats! They had fun in spite of the heat and we made new friends. It was such a joy to have all three of these outstanding young adults at our house.

Almost done!

Thanks to the help of her friends, Kat finished the bouquet part of the mural early on Sunday. By the end of the day on Sunday she had finished the lettering. After a few final touches on Monday we had a mural!

The piece isn’t done until the signature goes on!

We are absolutely in love with the cheerful wall art that now greets travelers as they approach our house and gardens. We also absolutely love our young friend for sharing her talents with us! If you would like your own Kat Hartley masterpiece be sure to leave me a comment. Kat paints and she also does very high end antique letterpress work. If you are looking for a one of a kind announcement, invitation, cards or artwork, Kat is your girl! (and BTW, she still has a precious little voice!)

There is no cuter guest house in all of Washington County!

Make Room for Cool-Season Peas by Patty Leander

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Jay White

This weekend I will be planting a lot of sugar snap peas. I love these peas but it can be a bit tricky to make these babies thrive in our hot climate. Below is a re-post of a great article from Patty Leander that will give you all the info you need to successfully grow these garden treats.

There is nothing better than fresh green peas from the garden. Photo by Bruce Leander.

A few months ago I wrote about heat-loving Southern peas (Vigna unguiculata), but now that September is here and temperatures have begun to cool off ever so slightly, it’s time to switch gears to cool-season peas (Pisum sativum): sugar snaps, snow peas and garden peas.

Peas have been in cultivation around the world for thousands of years, but the sugar snap pea that we enjoy today is American-made, thanks to a plant breeder named Calvin Lamborn of Idaho. In the 1970’s he crossed a garden pea with a snow pea, resulting in a tender pea with a crisp, sweet, edible pod. This new pea was introduced to the public in 1979, and has been a sensation ever since. ‘Sugar Snap’ was the original introduction of edible-podded peas. It is a vining variety that can reach 5-7 feet. ‘Super Sugar Snap’ is an improved version with resistance to powdery mildew. Both varieties mature in 62-65 days.

Cascadia Peas ready for harvest. Photo by Bruce Leander

Most peas are compact bush types that grow 24-30” tall and begin producing slightly earlier than the vining types. A few reliable sugar snap varieties include ‘Cascadia’ (58-60 days to maturity),

‘Sugar Ann’ (52-56 days), ‘Sugar Bon’ (56 days) and ‘Sugar Sprint’ (55-58 days). If garden or shelling peas are more to your liking try the heirloom varieties ‘Wando’ (68 days) or ‘Little Marvel’ (62 days). A more recent introduction is the 2000 All-American Selection winner called ‘Mr. Big’ (58-62 days), a vining variety which grows 5-6 feet and produces large pods filled with 8 to 10 plump green peas.

Wando shelling peas ready for harvest. Photo by Bruce Leander

Sugar snap peas can be eaten at any stage of development; the entire pod is edible when the peas inside are small and immature. Fresh, crunchy pods can be served with dip or sliced and added to salads. Whole pods are delicious sautéed or roasted (see accompanying recipes). Peas that are allowed to fully mature can be shelled and prepared like any garden pea, by simmering in a small pot of water just until tender.

Peas can be a challenge to grow because they are particular about the weather and must be planted during a short window of opportunity. Too hot and they will wither away, too wet and they succumb to powdery mildew, too cold and they will drop their blooms and potential pods. Plant peas at least 8 weeks before your first average freeze in fall so plants have time to grow and mature before the cold weather sets in. In my Central Texas garden I usually plant peas in early September, and again a week or two later. Then I keep my fingers crossed and hope that the peas grow fast and our first frost comes late.

Cascadia Pea blooms. Photo by Bruce Leander

The soil will still be hot at these recommended planting times, so try shading it with row cover, shade cloth, burlap or several layers of newspaper for a week or so before planting to help moderate the temperature. Planting after a rain is ideal, but if you are not so lucky be sure to irrigate a day or two before planting so the soil will be moist and ready to receive seed.

Because peas are legumes they have a special relationship with a beneficial soil bacteria called Rhizobia. The peas allow the bacteria to live on their roots and the bacteria extract nitrogen from the air and convert it to a form the plants can use. If you are planting peas in a new garden, a container or an area of your garden that has not hosted legumes before you can encourage this relationship by inoculating the pea seed before planting to ensure that the bacteria is present in the soil. The inoculant is often available at garden centers or it can be ordered through most seed catalogs. The process is simple and involves nothing more than coating the dampened seeds with the inoculant powder before planting.

To harvest pods: hold the vine in one hand and pull pod with the other. Photo by Bruce Leander

Plant the seed 1-1½” deep and 3-4” apart. Bush-type varieties that grow 24-30” are considered self-supporting, but I find that they are easier to tend and easier to harvest if given some kind of support. They will also get better air circulation (therefore less prone to disease) if grown upright and off the ground. Try using string or chicken wire tied between stakes or insert pruned branches next to the plants for support. The tall, vining varieties, like ‘Super Sugar Snap’, must have sturdy support and should be planted at the base of a tall tomato cage, a fence or a trellis. Once your peas start producing, harvest them frequently for peak quality and to encourage more production. And be sure to use two hands when harvesting or you could easily pull up an entire vine (been there, done that).

Your home-grown peas that travel from garden to kitchen in mere minutes will look better, taste better and cost less than any fresh sugar snap pea that you can buy at a grocery store – yet another reason to grow-your-own!