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Successfully Plant Lettuce Seeds In Late Summer With These Tips
By LINDSAY DONALDSON
Lettuce is a summer staple, yet it grows horribly in the heat. With a combo of cooling tactics and varieties bred for heat, you can enjoy your lettuce in the latter half of summer.
Find a heat-tolerant variety — there are leaf and head types in red and green, and mixes that make lovely multicolored displays, but you’ll likely need to start the seeds indoors.
Botanical Interests' Marvel of Four Seasons lettuce promises not to be bitter if kept moist in the heat. Others, like Seed Savers' Exchange Slobolt Lettuce, take longer to flower.
Fruition Seeds' Organic Salad Provence Mix will provide a late harvest; however, any lettuce seeds will be sluggish if not asleep at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Indoor starts are best.
Use a seed-starting mix, as it's lighter than the standard potting mix. Plant three seeds per pot, around ⅛ inch deep, and plant them over several weeks to stagger your harvest.
After about four weeks, your small lettuce can be transplanted outdoors, but before planting, look for shady spots. Certain companion plants can also create shade for lettuces.
You can even shelter lettuces with row covers or hoop houses, or grow them in containers. Move the containers to follow the shade, place them under a pergola, or take them inside.