Growing lettuce

I don't make any claims about being an expert gardener.  It's only been a hobby of mine for a few years.  I continue to learn a lot each growing season.  That said, I've always heard that lettuce is a cool weather crop and that it doesn't do well in the summer.  Well, I've been having pretty good luck with it this year.

I've tried direct sowing lettuce before.  I don't get good results.  Why?  The seeds are so small that I just toss them.  Then stuff grows and I don't thin it out properly.  I always feel bad about yanking plants out that are growing well.  Then they get too crowded and don't do well.  I've found that I can avoid this by starting lettuce in pots.  I throw in a pinch of seeds and when they first sprout I take out all but one of them. 

A few weeks ago (probably in May) I started lettuce seeds in my garage.   It took them a while to get going, but they've done well.  I've kept them under shop lights.  Rather than dealing with watering each individual container I put them in trays.  Then I pour the water in the tray and it gets absorbed from the bottom up.

I started a lot Romaine, and some leaf lettuce

 

I've been slowly transplanting the lettuce from the garage to my raised beds.  I haven't done it all at once for two reasons.  One, I haven't had room in the raised beds.  And two, if I stagger the plantings then I can stagger my harvests. 

Romaine at various stages of growth.

There are two big Romaine heads in the back and a smaller one in front.

I cut back my oregano to make room for this one.

This is some leaf lettuce I put in the other day. 

I even put lettuce in my front island next to a blueberry bush.

After cutting bunch of lettuce for dinner tonight I had room for this one.  It was a little sad, but some water should cheer it up.