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Hello Mid-Ohio Valley farmers and gardeners! Hopefully, cool temperatures are just around the corner as the summer heat hangs on. Remember that fall is a great time to test your soil, a free service here in West Virginia. As backyard gardeners continue the harvest, contact the WVU Extension Office with your canning, freezing, gardening, lawn and turf questions.
Most of us need a little more fiber in our diet, and a fresh salad with lettuce from the home garden is just the trick. There are four main types of lettuce: crisp-head (iceberg), loose leaf, butterhead, and Romaine (cos lettuce). All types can be grown in the fall garden, but look for varieties with the shortest days from seed to harvest. Today we are focusing on one of my favorites Bibb or Butterhead lettuce (due to its butter flavor).
Bibb lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is easy to grow and develops its best quality when grown under cool, moist conditions. Temperatures between 45 degrees F and 65 degrees F are ideal for growing lettuce. Bibb lettuce can be grown from either seeds or transplants. Seeds of Bibb lettuce can be planted in early fall for a winter crop. Bibb lettuce does great in containers as well. Transplants can usually be put in the ground about 30 days before the last frost. Some varieties can tolerate a surprising amount of frost and cold weather.
Bibb or as it is sometimes referred to Boston or Butterhead lettuce, is a loose-heading type with dark green leaves that are somewhat thicker than those of iceberg lettuce. Bibb varieties have small, rounded, loosely folded heads with soft leaves. Bibb lettuce develops a light yellow, buttery appearance and is very attractive in salads. They mature in 50 to 75 days and are more tolerant of poor soils and weather conditions than iceberg lettuce.
Direct seeded lettuce can be planted in single rows or broadcast over the entire bed for a wide row planting. If seeds are broadcast, seedlings will need to be thinned appropriately to allow space between plants. Wide rows should be 12 to 15 inches across. Cover the seeds with 1/4 to 1/2 inch of soil. Water carefully but thoroughly.
Several successive plantings of leaf lettuce will provide a more continuous harvest throughout the growing season. To achieve proper spacing of plants, thinning of lettuce seedlings is usually necessary. Thin bibb lettuce when sprouts are about 2 inches tall. Select the largest plants and leave about 10 inches between them in the rows.
If transplanting from the greenhouse or a hot bed, space transplants 10 to 12 inches apart in rows that are 18 to 24 inches apart. Harden seedlings by reducing water and temperature for 2-3 days before transplanting.
Many improved varieties are available for bibb lettuce. 'Buttercrunch' is an example of a Bibb type whose prized shape and buttery, chewy leaves have become a favorite for salads. Dr. Lewis Jett, WVU Extension horticulture specialist, recommends the following Bibb lettuce varieties for West Virginia: Dancine, Nevada, Sierra, Rex, Red Cross and Arriana. Search the vegetable seed catalogs and experiment with some of these varieties or choose your own.
If you are direct seeding in the garden or raised bed, take into consideration that lettuce seed is very small, and a well-prepared seedbed is essential. A fine textured seed bed, free of large clods will ensure proper seed-to-soil contact and increase germination.
Do not allow lettuce beds to dry out. Lettuce does not have an extensive root system, so an adequate supply of moisture and nutrients is necessary for good growth. Keep the soil evenly moist and mulch the soil around young lettuce plants. Mulch will help conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and keep soil temperatures cool.
If weeds do become a problem, either pull by hand or cultivate very shallowly to avoid damage to lettuce roots. Lettuce may need watering up to twice a day in warmer weather. Regular attention to watering will encourage vigorous growth and minimize the development of bitterness in the leaves.
All lettuce types should be harvested when full size but young and tender. Harvest the lettuce when the leaves begin to cup inward, forming the loose head. Over-mature lettuce is bitter and woody. Remove the outer leaves, dig up the whole plant or cut the plant about an inch above the soil surface. A second harvest is often possible this way. Good luck and until next time, Happy Gardening!
Question of the week: I have some great potato plants this year. How do I know when to start digging?
When the tops of the vine start to die, that is usually a sign it is time to start digging. If you planted late in the season, the potatoes may grow until frost. Once a hard frost hits, don't waste any time getting the spading fork out of the shed. If you are still unsure, dig a "test hill.” If the skins peel off easy, it is a little too early. The skins should have "toughened" and be firmly attached to the flesh in mature potatoes. Be careful not to scrape or bruise when digging, the damaged spots may lead to rot during storage. Remember, potatoes have to cure in a cool, dry place for about two weeks to give time for the skins to harden.