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LETTUCE
(Lactuca sativa)
Cheat sheet
When to sow: year round in mild climates
Position: full sun (in autumn, winter and spring) or dappled shade (in summer)
Sow: direct
Depth: 0.3cm
Spacing: scatter seeds thinly in rows spaced 15-20cm apart
Plants per person: 6-10
Time to harvest: 9-10 weeks
Grow in pots: 30cm deep
Companion plants: beetroot, carrot, cucumber, marigolds, onion, radish
How to grow
Did you know lettuce is a member of the daisy family, Asteraceae? Well, now you do!
And, if you let your lettuces keep on growing after they start to turn tough and bitter, you’ll see that they produce tiny yellow flowers that look just like daisies! They are beautiful, the bees love them, and after they’ve finished flowering they’ll give you seeds you can re-sow year after year.
Lettuce originated in the Mediterranean and there is evidence that Egyptians began to intentionally cultivate it around 6000 years ago. In Egypt, lettuce was grown both for its edible leaves and for its seeds, which were pressed to make oil. Lettuce is considered a hardy annual and will withstand brief periods of frost (although its outer leaves may wilt or die in hard frosts). In temperate climates you can grow lettuce all year round; in autumn, winter and spring, it will do best in a spot that gets full sun; in summer, opt for a spot that gets morning sun and full or dappled afternoon shade. If your summers get really hot and dry, grow kale and rocket and save your lettuce growing for autumn, winter and spring.
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