There is nothing quite like using salad greens from a container garden to make a fresh salad or as hamburger topping. The best thing about growing lettuce is that a large garden plot is not required. Instead, learn how to grow lettuce in a pot and use homegrown lettuce leaves to make a healthy recipe.
Container gardening is a fun way to produce your own food, and lettuce plants are a great starting point if you’re a beginning gardener. They are one of the easiest vegetables to grow, and there are many different varieties to pick from, including butterhead, Romaine, crisphead, and loose-leaf lettuces.
However, there are a few things to learn about these plants, whichever types of lettuce you decide to grow. All lettuce varieties, from head lettuce to leaf lettuce, are cool-season crops and hot weather causes bolting. Fortunately, planting lettuce seeds in early spring ensures your plants enjoy cooler temperatures for optimal growth.
Growing Lettuce from Seeds in Pots
If you’re new to the gardening game, not to worry. Growing lettuce in pots is a simple process, as long as you use a container with drainage holes, give your lettuce seedlings proper spacing in the soil mix, and position them in full sun.
Learn about the different conditions lettuce cultivars need for healthy growth. Discover how to sow lettuce seeds in shallow containers or clay pots and care for them as they mature.
Find out when to harvest fresh lettuce leaves and use them in a side dish after planting lettuce in pots.
What to Know about Growing Lettuce in Pots
Fruits and vegetables all have their own likes and dislikes as they go through their growing process, and lettuce is no different. Here are a few preparation tips for growing lettuce in pots to help you produce the healthiest plants.
This cool-season crop grows well in the spring and fall when the temperatures are mild. There are four main types, loose-leaf, crisphead, butterhead, and Romaine lettuce, with many varieties of each.
While this veggie is a simple plant to grow, lettuce needs the correct type of medium and pot to flourish in a container garden.
Use potting soil formulated with peat, compost, organic matter, dirt, and perlite or vermiculite rather than garden soil. Pick a planter that is at least six to eight inches deep, and make sure it has drainage holes to drain excess water.
How to Grow Lettuce in a Pot from Seed
Learn how to start lettuce from seeds, whether you are growing Romaine lettuce in pots or an Oakleaf looseleaf lettuce. Explore how deep and far apart to sow seeds in a container and what they require for germination.
When you grow Romaine lettuce from seed or another variety, fill the container with potting mix and add half a tablespoon of a time-release fertilizer for each gallon of soil since lettuce requires a good amount of potassium for production.
Iceberg lettuce spacing is important, as it is for all lettuce types. Sow seeds a half-inch deep and four to twelve inches apart, depending on the lettuce type. For example, sow leaf lettuce seeds closer together than head types.
Water the dirt right after planting for all different lettuce types and place the container in a sunny location. When growing lettuces in pots, make sure to water shallowly and consistently to keep the soil moist since these plants have a shallow root system.
Keep an eye out for aphids and other garden pests and spray them off the plant with water or remove them by hand. Make a natural spray for lettuce bugs with some water, dish soap and neem oil. It works like a charm to kill unwanted pests.
Now it’s time to pick lettuce you have watched so diligently. Once loose leaf lettuce reaches the desired size, remove outer leaves when young to encourage regrowth and then cut away the entire plant.
Making Turkey Wraps after Planting Lettuce in Pots
After planting lettuce in pots and harvesting the fresh greens for the kitchen, we usually use them to prepare fresh salads. However, there are other ways to use lettuce, and one of our favorite alternatives is a spicy turkey wrap.
Crumble the turkey with the celery and onion in a large skillet and cook for four to six minutes until the meat is no longer pink.
Add the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, pepper seasonings, and carrots, and cook for another couple of minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
Layer three lettuce leaves on a plate, scoop half of the mixture into the center, and roll the lettuce over the meat. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and serve.
Keep Romaine lettuce fresh after harvesting by wrapping the leaves in a damp paper towel and setting the package in the crisper in the fridge.
A common misconception is that a sizable backyard is necessary to grow vegetables.
While some veggies are picky with their growing habits, lettuce plants have shallow roots, and they take up little space as they mature, making them ideal for container gardening.
Now that you know how to grow lettuce in a pot at the right time of the year, why not share our lettuce container gardening guide with the salad-lovers in your life on Pinterest and Facebook?