How To Grow Perfect Lettuce Every Time! đ„Ź
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 15. 07. 2024
- Calling all leaf-munching, salad-snaffling lettuce lovers! We know you're out there, longing for luscious leaves of lovely lettuce. We hear you! This week, Ben reveals his top tips for growing your very own long lasting supply of lip smacking, pest-defying, super salads. Lettuce begin!
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An old lady in Cyprus taught me to wrap my lettuce (and other green leaves) in a damp tea towel before storing them in the fridge. They stay crisp and fresh for up to two weeks. Just make sure you keep the tea towel damp (but not wet)
â@HackzFood A fridge?
Best tip is to cut leaves away as you need them and leave stalk intact. Extends freshness hugely.
That's what my mother used to do.
Alyssum... What a great idea! Fragrant, low ground cover (can be given "haircuts"), attract the insects we DO want ... and don't compete much for nutrients! Win, win, win.... Thanks, Ben! đ
It's great to have a winning combination like that Rita, definitely!
You can plant lettuce at any time. For instance, I just planted my Romaine lettuce. But because the hot weather is coming, I planted them under the shade of a Maple tree. The shade will keep them cool during the hot weather.
A tip I have about aphids, is to have a garden Nasturtium growing in your garden. It attracts aphids like crazy and ever since I started to grow one, I never had any aphids on the other plants anymore.
Great tip, cheers Thimo!
I also use neem oil with dish soap and water, but i like the easy ways to rid aphids
Looking forward to the companion plant video
I wish I could give you another thumbs up, since this is my second time watching this episode. I need to get my gardening notebook out and take notes, because you have SO much knowledge to share. Thank you for your interesting videos, I enjoy them very much!
Thanks Wendy!
â€Thanks a lot for spreading these huge happiness, beautiful gardening and clear knowledge.
And thank you for watching. :-)
This has quickly become one of my favourite channels.
Cheers Michiel!
Good tip when watering small to medium pots or cell trays...hold the pot/cell to be watered over another pot that also needs watering and allow the top pot/cell to drain to the one below. This not only saves water, it also means you save on watering time. Fresh water is precious to us and our vegetables.
Great advice, thanks Alexandra.
I grow a 2-sided trellis, making an A-frame structure for my sweet peas, and under it I plant lots of lettuces. It works beautifully, they're shaded by the sweet peas and pests don't usually find them. Thank you for yet another lovely, encouraging and informative video!
That's a great solution to hot sun - great thinking. :-)
I love your idea, thank you.
Sweet, edible? peas, or the sweet pea flower?
@@GrowVeg
@@joannegratton491 thank you and you're welcome!
My favorite vegetable growing channel, thank you!
Thanks for watching Alvaro! :-)
Butter crunch lettuce, romaine, red leaf, one package of mixed too. All from seed. Grow super well up here near Seattle WA. I have been planting alyssum, zinnia, and nasturtiums with my veggies for years. Attracts pollinators and is attractive in appearance and no aphids!
That's really great to hear first hand that these flowers help with aphids - thanks for sharing that Marilyn.
The amount of enthusiasm and life you bring to the videos is great, you seem like a genuinely great person to know.
Thanks so much. :-)
Harvesting: Charles Dowding is using this method as a market gardener. Pinch put the outer leaves. 3 months of harvest. Perfect!
Buttercrunch is one of my favorites
Delicious!
I'm in western North Carolina, Zone 7B, and grow Buttercrunch and Romaine in a cold frame all winter. I start from seed in late September. Light bulbs inside and and a tarp on the outside for nights below 26 degrees has kept my lettuces and radishes in perfect shape. No bug problems this time of the year :)
That's one benefit of growing in winter - no pests to speak of.
Slugs are the bane of my existence!!! I will try the Beer for sure! However, it better work Ben, I am Canadian eh and we don't like wasting beer, lol.
I feel your concern there Alexander, really I do! Only use the cheap stuff - don't go wasting any of the good stuff!
Extremely helpful Ben! I also really appreciate you referencing seasons like early, mid, late winter etc as opposed to specific months. Adored the footage of the hedgehog too đMany thanks from Australia!
Cheers for that - great to have viewers down under. :-)
Just discovered your page, binging like crazy! Love your content
Thanks so much. A warm welcome to you. :-)
We have romaine,.lollo rosso,.lollo verde,.oak leaf types growing now. We also use a media low in Nitrogen but higher in calcium to get them going and provide crisp leaves, we found this reduces aphid pressure too. We also supplement a comfrey FPJ/ Tea which we use in drip
That's really interesting to hear - thanks for sharing that. :-)
Him : what type of lettuce are you going to grow this year?
Me: YES
So many decisions!
I'm in NZ and currently have a lovely crop of butter lettuce nearly ready to harvest. I can't believe how much they taste like butter đ I picked my last frilly lettuce last night for tea. It's so rewarding growing your own food đ
It's a great and wonderfully empowering thing to do Jacki.
In Nz too and love growing and eating buttercruch lettuces!
Lol
No need to use butter on lettuce n marmite sammies đđ»
Lol
No need to use butter on lettuce n marmite sammies đđ»
âThe merest suggestion of potting mixâ. Nice.
"A sticky but happy ending" really cracked me up.
Glad to have raised a smile!
Love homegrown lettuces. Lettuces are very forgiving about being transplanted. In summer, I definitely grow in shade and I sow more often, so I have young lettuces when the older ones bolt. For sow bugs and slugs, I grow individual lettuces in their own pots that sit above the ground. I usually let a few lettuces go to seed each year and end up with lots of seeds and volunteers, which I transplant and grow on. We just harvest lettuce when we are eating it. I actually just graze in the garden, a few leaves each day.
That's a great way to grow - always something to pick. :-)
Another well explained interesting video thank you! Congratulations on your journalistic award, well deserved ! Really looking forward to next video! âïžâïžâïžâïžâïž đ„
Thanks so much Fiona, that means a lot and is appreciated. :-)
Hello dear ,how are you doing?
For the first time ever I managed to grow some Buttercrunch lettuce this year. I planted in late January. Protecting from our North Texas ice storms provided plenty of challenge, but I manage to grow a number of the Buttercrunch and Red Romaine variety from the seedlings purchased from a local feed store. It is early May and I have just harvested the last of the Buttercrunch. I'll be growing this again for certain. Not certain if growing this into the winter will work her but I'm going to try. It can remain in the 80degree Fahrenheit range into December.
Definitely worth a try. Glad you got a good early crop.
I'm looking forward to the assylum tip this year. We grow for 4 families in Wisconsin, USA. With increased food and petrolium prices this year, we are increasing the area under cultivation. Instead of single seed types, we will probably plant mixes of lettucices, mustards, kales, etc. We generally start seeds inside and plant plugs in no dig raised beds.
Great to hear you're expanding - it's a very empowering response to rising prices.
Great video, hadn't realised they didn't like the hot weather so, will rethink were I'm going to plant them this season, thanks for sharing & take care đ
@Austin Howland I'm good thank you đ
@Austin Howland I'm in Wallasey, Wirral đ
@Austin Howland yes I am
Butternut. Thanks Ben đ
I ment Buttercrunch đ€. You probably knew that. God Bless
Lettuces are my favorite green to grow...but I never have luck with starting them inside. I like all kinds! Slugs are a BIG problem where I live...Thanks for the tips!
Very helpful. The Allysum tip is just what I needed having lost nearly all my lettuce to bugs and slugs last year. I use garlic and marigolds in the greenhouse in a similar way for my tomatoes and cucumbers etc
It's a great plant. Can't wait to use more of it this season Ken.
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Thanks Ben. Always love your videos. Gardening here in Japan.
Great stuff Daniel, thanks for watching
Great video thank you. I am going to plant some corn salad for the first time
Rob...that was great information on Alyssum! I did not know it attracted beneficial predators...I will be sure to add that to the mix! I like to direct sow salad mixes...I love the variety but my favorite lettuce is buttercrunch. Thank you for all you do!
No problem at all Dennis - and thank you for watching.
Itâs a real treat to watch and learn from you. Thanks đ
"At this point lettuces are good for one thing only..." Wellll, except if you have chickens, they LOVE bolted lettuce and don't seem to mind the milky sap. They eat all parts of the greens and flowers which adds to their vegetative diet!
Also, where it's dry (like here) we don't have an issue with slugs so much as pill and "pincher" bugs which nibble up the tiny delicate seedlings after you've transplanted them. They're mostly active at night and thrive where your lovely compost/mulch is placed. Soy sauce and oil traps work pretty well, but they can sometimes escape the beer traps!
Hi Alexis. Thanks for sharing those tips. I'm now wishing I had chickens in the garden to make use of my bolted lettuces! Great that nothing goes to waste.
Thank you Ben for putting out so many wonderful and entertaining videos they never fail to put a smile on my face. I live in the Williamette Valley in western Oregon and have a huge success of slug control by using the powdered egg shells from my chickens I have. It works wonderful and costs me nothing I my husband gets the nice cold beer. =)
Great tip, thanks so much. :-)
perfect timing on this video! im doing some of these this year. im glad to have found your video on the companion planting from before too for these bibbs and my tomatoes.
This is awesome. Thanks for the video!
I love lettuce. Learning a lot from you Ben. Thanks for sharing.
Wow 10 months ago i put a comment in and it is May - I have wonderful lettuce everywhere this year. I started them in a cold frame and then the tunnel and after that outside - so pleased. Cold so far this year - started off with a soft lettuce and then a variety called Black Simpson loads to eat!!
That's really super to hear - good job! :-)
Very informative video as usual Ben, thank you from Central Coast Hinterland, NSW, Australia!
For storing lettuce & green veggies I wrap them in a bit of paper towel before putting in a plastic bag in the fridge-it absorbs excess moisture & keeps them humidified.
Hi, I'm in Saskatchewan, Canada right in the middle of winter, so I love hearing about cold weather crops. Just wanted to agree that after washing my lettuce and spinning it dry, it keeps very well in a large plastic container with paper towels between layers.
That's a great tip David and Maureen, many thanks.
I'm growing heritage ones this year called Bloody Warrior !
That's a cool name!
Great to see you on here by the way. :-)
Thanks! Now I know i have to get Alyssium for my lettuces! So helpful video!
Thank you for sharing your valuable knowledge
Thank you !! Iâve never been successful growing lettuce before . I learned a lot from your video !
Thank you for your enjoyable class on growing lettuce. I learned a lot and will start tomorrow!
Thanks for information & ideas đđđĄ
Thank youâŠI live in South Central TexasâŠyouâve given me hope! Iâll definitely need planter boxes since my soil is actually sandy lome thatâs goes down deep and special care due to the heat! Watching your berry video now!
Great information! Thanks
Your video was so helpful. Thank you so much.
Excellent information explained for beginners, thanks so much. Looking forward to next vid
I never knew alyssum helped to attract beneficial insects like that! I love it for its own sake but will definitely put some in between the vegs now as well as in flower containers. Thank you. Sweet channel.
Wow, great show. I love Boston lettuce.
Brilliant!
Excellent video. I never seem to get the steps from germination, to plugs, to planting out right so this has been very helpful. Thank you.
Absolutely great, can't wait to get started!
Great timing on the video, was about to sow some today. Love the vid!!
Thank you! I'm growing bib lettuce and spinach this year. So far so good.
New subbie here. I love your videos. A filipina from California
Welcome! Thank you so much for the sub!
I love these videos! Thank you!đș
Slug collars worked very well in my garden last year! and then I usually leave one lettuce unprotected for the slugs to munch on, hehehe. Lettuce is my favourite vegetable in the garden. Thanks for the beautiful video.
Great stuff, all I needed to know. Cheers.
Thanks for your tips. I've the seeds now I'll give lettuce growing a go. We're in our winter good time to start planting.
Very useful info. Thank you.
You are very good with your lettuce!! I planted mine out in the heat, in S France and wondered why they didn't come up - my hubby took me for a fool - this is my 1st full year of growing and they grew really well in Wales years ago!! Thanks for the tips!!!!!!! I will grow indoors early along with the peppers, next year.
At least you'll be able to grow plenty of warm-season crops down there - wonderful!
I've always had success with leaf lettuce. Will be trying head lettuces this year.
Thank you for the video
Nicely explained thank you
Thanks for the great details
Thank You! So much great info on your channel. End of April here in the North East US and canât wait to get some plants in the ground. đ
Thank you Ben, this is immensely helpful. I really enjoy your videos and I use your garden planner. I was so impressed earlier this week when I emailed a question about planting out my fruit cage and I received a response later that same afternoon. Fantastic, thank you :)
That's really great to hear Amanda - they're a great team on the customer services front.
Perfect timing, Ben! I've just planted some lettuce seeds indoors a couple of days ago.
Nice one!
Great informative video, thank you!
We plan to grow butter lettuce! Thank La for the information.
I love lettuce and I tend to grow quite a few different ones . They taste so different from the ones in supermarket . I like to keep the seeds too . I grow old varieties.
Thanks. These are great tips!
You're so friendly and approachableđ€â„ïž.
Bless you - thanks!
Great video and thank you for sharing đ„Źđ„Źđ„Źđ„Źđ
Great information. Thank you!
Still growing lettuce and it is doing really well in the greenhouse . Do love your videos a it is so well presented.
So pleased you're still picking lettuce - top work!
Absolutely loving your channel content, thank you for the all the information you're sharing :)
What a great video! I'm growing lettuces in my sunroom now because I could not wait for spring and I don't have a green house yet.
Great video, Ben. So many useful tips.
Thanks for the companion planting ideas. Heirloom romain Speckled Trout grows 9+ months in a bed shaded by the greenhouse. Near Seattle, US.
I recently slowly shoveled mulch onto my rose bush like rain to remove tons of larva in a desperate attempt. It worked! The larva couldn't hold onto the stalk with the shards of mulch raining on them over and over. It buried them underneath the rose itself. A two in one hack for trying on your sturdier plants like my young rose. In two weeks the suffering leaves are gone and a half dozen baby pink blooms are showing off!
Yey - well done on getting on top of them!
i like growing many many types of lettuce and having a mixed bag of leafs. Wonderful crisp leaves all year long! we just started to hvest them this year! And we cant of planted them that long ago.
Doing kale this year and a purple lettuce. Thank you for the tips!
This was great help thank you
I love Romaine and Bibb lettuces, especially for sandwiches. I am like their cut-and-come-again harvesting qualities. I also enjoy the iceberg lettuces as they add a pleasant crunch to salads.
Brilliant video, greta to see grow lights in action as I've been using mine for lettuces this winter. Ive got Poached Egg Flower seeds so that was helpful too.
Hey Ben, I just put lettuce seeds in trays so this came at the perfect time for me.
Really looking forward to seeing them come up and getting loads of fresh leafy greens soon.
Thank you for sharing your tips.
Not long to go. :-)
Brilliant informative video. Thank you đđŠđș
We have Hilde 2 growing very nicely in our polytunnel this year, and hope to plant butterhead varieties too.
Great channel my friend thank you.
thank you!!!
Great information! Thank you for the tips on what kind of flowers to plant too. I going to plant more flowers this year for sure in and around my veggies garden.
Me too - it's a great thing to do and does pay off.
This is my first season growing lettuce and I only just saw this. So glad I had my planting right! I live in a warm climate and planted a "wall" of sugar snap peas to shade them.
Love the videos, found you a couple of weeks ago and truly love your enthusiasm, itâs very catching! Iâm in Poland where itâs going to be -10c tomorrow. So any colder weather tips most welcome
Hi Paul. So pleased you're enjoying the channel. I think the best thing to do is start off what you can indoors - maybe waiting a few weeks until mid to late February. Grow on under grow lights if necessary (or wait longer to sow) then transplant outdoors under some form of cold protection.