Growing lettuce in containers is a common widespread practice among gardeners. Besides being easy to grow and maintain, lettuce is also healthy and highly productive. This most favorite green salad contains water, fiber, vitamins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium.
In fact, if you have intestinal transit problems, you don’t need to see a doctor, all you need is some lettuce and your problems will be gone.
Another factor that makes growing lettuce in containers popular is the quick growth of this plant. It grows completely in 8 weeks. Just make sure to plant it during winter or spring because it is a cool weather plant. Additionally, it does not occupy a large space, you can even grow them on w windowsill.
Just like spinach, growing lettuce in containers is easier than growing it in gardens. As a matter of fact, it is way better. It protects your salad from a lot of pests and diseases. Below you will find the best guide for growing lettuce in containers.
you could also read how to grow spinach in containers:
Growing spinach indoors successfully: The easy effective steps
1. Choose an adequate container for growing lettuce
What makes lettuce unique is that all its varieties are suitable for growing in containers. Lettuce does not have long roots which makes it perfect to grow in containers. It is better to grow lettuce in a wide container than a deep one. Lettuce requires only 6 inches of depth.
Any available material could be used as a lettuce container. Whether it is plastic, clay or terracotta, be sure that your lettuce will grow in them without the slightest problem. Just remember to poke some drainage holes in your container.
2. Soil for growing lettuce in containers
Growing lettuce in containers necessitates that you use a good quality soil. You need a soil that can hold water and provide nutrients. Compost and peat are rich enough in organic matter to be an ideal soil mix. You could also add some vermiculite or perlite for water retention. They will keep the soil damp and moist.
3. sowing seeds or planting seedlings
As we mentioned, lettuce is an easy plant to grow in containers. It is also adaptable and flexible. You could grow lettuce in containers either by planting a seedling or sowing seeds. Either way, add 1/2 tablespoon of time release fertilizer per gallon of soil before you start.
If you are going to use a seedling, you should plant 1/4 inch deeper than you would plant it a garden. Keep a space of 10 inches between each seedling. For seeds, sow them 1/2 deep in the soil and leave 8 inches between each seed.
4. Position
Although lettuce prefers sunlight, it can be grown in partial shade. If you live in a cool weather area, let your lettuce receive 8 hours of sunlight daily. However, if you live in a hot area, expose your lettuce to morning sunlight and only for a few hours.
5. Watering
Lettuce grows better in a lightly damp soil. Thus, frequent watering is required to prevent your plant from drying. However, don’t over water your container. It will harm the growth of your lettuce. It is highly recommended that you use a self-watering container.
Self-watering containers will not only give your plants the exact amount of water they need whenever they need but also will save you a lot of time that you could allocate to other gardening activities. You could use one of these outstanding self-watering containers.
6. Fertilizing
Lettuce is a short seasoned plant that matures in no time. Therefore, when it comes to fertilizers, it is cost effective. Growing lettuce in containers does not require a lot of fertilizing.
You will need to fertilize your plants just once or twice. Start fertilizing a few weeks after planting. Fertilizing lettuce is not vital for its growth, but it definitely ameliorates containers. There are different fertilizers you could choose from, 10-10-10 fertilizer is the most used one. Please follow the manufacturer’s instructions when fertilizing.
7. Harvesting
Once the leaves reach 4 to 6 inches, they are ready for harvesting. It is better to pick up the outer leaves rather than cutting the plant. This way, the plant will grow again and you can harvest it again. Also, if you need to, you could harvest lettuce before maturity.
These steps are ideal for growing lettuce in containers. They will ensure that you have healthy, fresh and heavy production. There are a lot of vegetables that produce heavily and you could easily grow them in containers. check out this list to learn more about them.
Enjoy your gardening and don’t forget to tell your friends about us.