Lettuce
Lettuce grows quickly, is easy to care for, and comes in many varieties.
It is also a short-season crop that is resistant to cold.
-Planting: Sew seeds as soon as soil is workable. Seeds should be planted
1/2 an inch deep in rows 14 inches apart. Cover the seeds with a 1/4 inch
of fine soil, and sprinkle them with water. Seeds can also be started
indoors to get a jump on the outdoor growing season. Additional rows can
be set aside for successive plantings at 2 week intervals.
-Growing: Begin thinning the seedlings so that they are 3 inches apart
when they reach 4 inches in height. Later, thin them to 6, 12, and finally
18 inches between mature plants. Working a high-nitrogen fertilizer into
the soil at planting time, and during the growing season, will encourage
abundant growth. Avoid getting soil or fertilizer on the plant or the
leaves. Seeds can be sewn again in early august for fall harvest.
-Harvesting: Loose-leaf varieties can be used throughout the season by
breaking the outer leaves off at the base of the plant as they mature.
Head and upright varieties can be pulled only after the entire plant has
matured. Head lettuce is removed by cutting the entire plant at soil
level.
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