Helping to foster healthy eating habits among children and adolescents in Tampa Bay
What is it?
Lettuce is a plant from the daisy family. It is most often grown as an edible leaf vegetable, but sometimes it's grown for the stem. It is most often used for salads.
Lettuce has low calories and almost no fat. It is high in fiber and cellulose, as well as vitamin C and beta-carotene that work together to prevent cholesterol and plaque build up. Not to mention, it is also an excellent source of protein.
Tips
Harvesting
Most lettuce prefers full sun and temperatures between 45-80 degrees F.
Growing lettuce in the winter months is better because in the summer it will turn very bitter.
Plant 2-4 seeds per bottle and for heads of lettuce only plant 1 seed.
In order for it to grow properly, plant it at the top of your vertical garden.
Place a paper collar around young lettuce to protect it from caterpillars and other infestations.
Lettuce will be ready to harvest a few weeks after planting.
There are two ways to harvest your lettuce:
1. Whole head: remove the entire plant and pot from the garden. Then, plant new seeds.
2. Individual leaf: harvest only a few leaves at a time and leave at least 2 leaves to allow the plant to continue growing.
Be sure to eat the lettuce within the first few days of harvesting.
