Lettuce Varieties And How To Grow Them
There are many salad varieties you can grow in your garden, and they come in different sizes, shapes and flavors.
Wondering which ones to grow yourself?
Today we tell you about the available options that are available to you.
Which salad varieties should you choose?
Lettuce has many health benefits. In addition to being good for you, it also tastes good and contains few calories. In fact, lettuce contains about 95% water, and only 15 calories per 100 grams.
When it comes to nutrients, lettuce is a good source of vitamins A, C and folate. It also provides you with minerals such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and sodium.
Overall, we can highlight the following benefits:
- Lettuce helps you sleep.
- It has analgesic and sedative properties.
- Lettuce stimulates your digestive glands.
- It also acts as a mild laxative, due to its fiber content.
- Diabetics can eat it.
- Finally, it is rich in beta-carotene, and also contributes to the prevention of several types of cancer.
That said, there are more than 200 varieties of lettuce. The most famous are iceberg, romano, mini-romano and batavia. Whatever the variety, lettuce is an easy vegetable to grow. Depending on the variety and where you live, it can actually be planted at any time of the year and collected about three to four months later.
However, you need to watch out for snails, fungi, aphids and birds.
Here are three popular varieties you can plant yourself.
Salad varieties
Isberg
First we will suggest iceberg lettuce, because you can plant it at any time of the year. You will also be able to enjoy it in your salads in about three months.
This type of salad is round and quite similar to cabbage. The leaves are crisp in consistency, so they are widely used in salads.
Romano
This is one of the most common salad varieties, probably because it is easy to grow and it holds up well. The leaves are long and have a characteristic thick central nerve. It is also one of the most common in the world.
You can plant it at any time of the year, and it requires little care and labor. However, you need to protect it from frost in winter.
Mini-novel
Since this variety is very similar to romano, but much smaller, it is often called “mini-romano”. This mini version has a much sweeter taste than regular romano. The leaves also have a thick central nerve, while they are curly and quite compact.
If it is not too hot in summer, you can plant it all year round. Still, it is better to do it from January to April, to be able to harvest it in the summer. You can also plant it from August to November, and harvest it through the winter. You may want to have a pot you can move around depending on the season.
Batavia
The reddish color is its main function, and the leaves are usually curly. That is why it is called “curly salad” in some places. This is one of the most valued types of salad in gastronomy.
When it comes to how to grow it, one must take into account that it does not tolerate cold very well. In English it is called “summer wonder”!
If you plant it every twenty days, you can harvest it throughout the year, when the buds are closed and compact.
Tips for growing most types of lettuce varieties
- You can grow it with seedlings, but also with indirect sowing.
- We recommend that you leave a distance of around 15 to 30 centimeters between each plant.
- You can also make a kitchen garden, if you want to harvest it throughout the year.
- When it comes to watering, this is a moderately demanding vegetable, especially after the bud begins to form.
- Finally, you need soil with enough nutrients, as this is a vegetable that requires many of them.
As you can see, it is very easy to plant, grow and harvest lettuce. The best part is that if you do it regularly throughout the year, you will be able to enjoy fresh and tasty salads at any time. Thus, you will benefit from all the health benefits this plant has to offer!
