Growing crops at home makes it easy for you to get your hands on fresh food that tastes good!  New to at home gardening?  Feel like you got a late start to the growing season?  Lettuce is a fast growing crop that is ready for harvest in as little as 45 days.  You can choose to start growing lettuce from seed, or find a starter plant at a local store.    Romaine, butterhead, head lettuce, or salad greens?  The choices are endless. 

Lettuce can be grown in the ground or in a container.  Starting lettuce from seeds gives you more control of which type of lettuce you want to grow.  When starting from seed, be sure you have a place where they can get enough light.  If you want to use a starter plant from a store instead, look for a plant that has sturdy, short, dark green plants.  Smaller store bought plants tend to survive longer and produce more crop.  It best not to choose plants that are tall or yellow. 

To help your lettuce plant grow, the plant will need at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight.  When putting the seed or plant in the soil, make sure you plant them ¼’’ deep into the soil.    For more information on growing an at home lettuce garden, visit this great resource

Now it is time to enjoy your hard work!  There are many healthy rewards when adding lettuce and leafy greens to your daily diet.  The recipes are endless!  Try Feed Our Future’s local herb vinaigrette paired with your home grown lettuce to get you started!