All About Fresh lettuce

Fresh lettuce
Among the easiest vegetables to grow, lettuces are ideal for pots, where they can be more easily protected from marauding slugs and snails. The widest selection is available in seed form, and the cut-and-come-again types are ready to pick just a few weeks after sowing. Try a mix of lettuces for different textures and tastes.
Plants used Dazzle and Green Frills lettuces Height and spread H up to 8in (20cm) S up to 12in (30cm) Exposure Sun or partial shade Temperature Fully hardy Harvesting period Summer to winter Suitable pot size 6in (15cm) or larger Container material Metal, terra-cotta, plastic, baskets Compost type Multi-purpose compost TOP TIP: HARVESTING LEAVES Allow the butter, Romaine, and iceberg varieties to mature into solid heads of leaves, and then slice the main stem off at the base with a sharp knife. Cut- and-come-again types can be harvested once by cutting all the leaves off an inch above the base. New leaves should then regrow, giving you a second crop. Alternatively, just pick off a few leaves as and when you need  them; more will then grow to replace them. Growing some  of each type gives you the best of both worlds.	Lettuces are not only delicious when picked fresh from the garden, but they also make decorative features in pots. Fill a container, large or small, with some multi-purpose compost and sow your seed thinly on the surface. In small containers, try to sow about three or four seeds of butter, Romaine, and iceberg, which form a heart, or just sprinkle cut-and-come-again varieties more densely; you will not need to thin these out. Sow a few pots each week for a continuous supply of leaves throughout the summer, but remember that seeds will not germinate if the temperature is above 77°F (25°C). When heart-forming varieties reach an inch or so in height, thin them out to appropriate spacings, which will be given on the packet of seeds, or leave them a little closer.
	CARING FOR LETTUCES Keep your lettuces well watered at all times, especially in hot weather when you will have to water daily, and move pots to a slightly shaded spot in the height of the summer. Lack of water or too much heat will cause the plants to “bolt” and produce long flowering stems—the leaves then become bitter. However, do not allow the compost to become waterlogged or the lettuces will rot. Most multi-purpose composts contain enough nutrients to sustain lettuces for a few weeks, but after that, give them a boost with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer formulated for leafy crops. The main pests to look out for are slugs and snails. Inspect plants every few days and pick off any culprits.