What is Lettuce?

Women‍‍`s Corner
July 31, 2022

There are hundreds of varieties of lettuce (Lactuca sativa), from soft and delicate bibb lettuce to crisp and colorful rouge d'hiver. This easy-to-grow annual is a classic for beginner and expert gardeners alike. Most types of lettuce grow quickly, maturing in five to eight weeks.

And many are suitable for cut-and-come-again harvesting, so you can snip off a few leaves anytime you want a salad. Lettuce is a cool-season vegetable, and in most home gardens it is planted in the early spring and harvested in late spring to early summer. Some gardeners plant a second crop of lettuce as the days grow cooler in fall.

Read More: Black Forest Ice Cream Cake

Lettuce can be divided into four major categories: head lettuce, romaine/cos, leaf lettuce, and butterhead (loose head). Leaf lettuce has the greatest number of varieties available and is the most popular type for home gardens.

Common Name - Lettuce, garden lettuce

Botanical Name - Lactuca sativa

Family - Asteraceae

Plant Type - Annual, vegetable

Size - 6–12 in. tall and wide

Sun Exposure - Full sun, partial sun

Soil Type - Loamy, rich, well-drained

Soil pH - Acidic, neutral (6 to 7)

Bloom Time - Seasonal

Hardiness Zones - 2a–11b (USDA)

Native Area - Mediterranean

This article is taken from thespruce.com