Lettuce is one of the most common garden vegetables and it’s fairly easy to grow. Lettuce is an annual plant of the daisy family and how you harvest lettuce is entirely up to you, but its growing requirement requires some tricks and tips. If you have a tree or building that shades your garden then it’s okay to worry about your vegetables getting enough sunlight but not to worry, most leafy greens tolerate shade.
There are different varieties of lettuce and although each comes with slightly different growing requirements. But when it comes to sunlight or shade, they are all quite similar.
Growing this cool hardy vegetable in your garden ensures you get served fresh vegetables every time you need it but to make sure you harvest sweet and tender lettuce, you need to make sure it’s planted in the right area.
The trick to successful gardening is to start with vegetables that are simple to care for. Lettuce is an easy plant to start with. It grows really fast compared to other large fruits. Gardeners also believe it helps improves one gardening skills. So, before growing lettuce in your garden, here are things you should know.
Growing Lettuce Sunlight or Shade? Here’s What to Know
Where, when, and how to plant lettuce is very important if you want healthy lettuce, however, you need to know how much sunlight or shade it needs to determine that. Lettuce is cool lettuce is a cool-season crop that thrives when it’s planted in moist fertile soil. It loves cool temperatures and will tolerate shade as well. This vegetable is one of the easiest plants to grow in a garden and during spring and autumn break, it is best planted in containers and has it placed in a site that offers 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight.
Lettuce grows really fast when planted in full sun but the too hot temperature will go to seed, however, the partial shade will keep your lettuce from bolting too soon. To get the best of lettuce, it’s best to have it planted in a partially shaded place, this enables it to get up to 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight and if planted in full sunlight, it can do well with a taller companion plant.
How you harvest lettuce is up to you but when it comes to where to plant it, it’s important to have it planted in fertile soil and give them a rich mix by simply adding compost of you can also feed it nitrogen-rich organic fertilizer. Lettuce plants are easy to grow and it’s one of the vegetables that like it cool. Lettuce grows so quickly that you can harvest from each plant for weeks.
Sunlight is quite beneficial to lettuce just like it is to every other summer crop. But a partially shaded area works best for lettuce as direct full sun consistently will only lead to bitter inedible leaves. You might need to shade your lettuce plant in summer to improve your chances of harvesting all summer long.
How To Shade Lettuce During Summer
Many varieties of lettuce are not known to survive if exposed all through summer hence it’s important to keep them protected. You can grow fresh lettuce during summer if you have it shaded properly or simply choose a summer variety.
To determine the best lettuce for summer, plant as many varieties of lettuce as you can and monitor how they perform throughout the growing season. However partial shade in your garden is a good way to keep your tender varieties o lettuce protected, so below are tips on how to shade lettuce during summer.
- Look for shade trees by simply sowing lettuce seed between tall stalky plants such as kale, broccoli, pepper, radish and beets. This will ensure it gets enough sun but will also protect it from the heat and slow than the bolting.
- Plant lettuce in pots or containers that can be moved easily to where there is the sun when the seedlings are growing and transfer to a shaded area later to prevent it from bolting.
- Protect it from it b covering it with a cloth. A dark cotton sheet or burlap will do fine as well.
How much sun does the lettuce plant need?
Although spring lettuces need as much sunlight as they can get, it’s best to have them shaded during the summer month. Generally, all varieties of lettuce need at least 6 hours of sun per day, however, it will grow just fine if less is given. Most varieties of lettuce are short-day plants and they prefer moist and well-drained soil as well. Just like every other plant, lettuce needs some sunlight so might want to transplant them instead of sowing directly in shade.
Does lettuce need direct sunlight?
Some varieties of lettuce require direct sunlight to thrive while other varieties tend to appreciate sustained indirect sunlight. Generally, lettuce should get at least 6 hours of full sun per day, however, they will still grow if given less than that.
Does lettuce grow well in shade?
Lettuce is a cold-hardy plant that is sure to grow well in shade. It loves temperatures on the cool side and tends to thrive in moist soil. However, in full spring, it grows faster in full sun but during the summer months, it’s best to keep it shaded to stop it from bolting too soon.
How many hours of sunlight does lettuce need?
10 to 12 hours of direct or indirect sunlight per day will do just fine and ensure the soil is well-drained. You spring lettuce need as much un as they can get which is best 10 or 12 hours a day. But summer lettuce does better in partial shade.
How do you protect lettuce from the heat?
Lettuce grows best in temperatures of about 45 to 75 degrees F and growing them in weather hotter than this is likely to turn the leaves bitter. To protect your lettuce from the heat, you need to have it watered every day, provide shade by planting on the shady sides of taller vegetables. A light organic mulch to keep the plants from the ground can also protect them from heat.
Final Thoughts
Lettuce is a forgiving plant when it comes to sunlight or shade and although it grows faster in sunlight, it will be best to keep it in partial shade to prevent it from bolting and turning bitter. When planning a summer garden, lettuce is not exactly the plant to think of.
It is a cool-season vegetable and thrives in cool moist soil. Lettuce is extremely sensitive to dry soil and high temperature and are likely to germinate poorly in warm summer months.
However, with the guide above on its sunlight and shade requirement, you can easily grow healthy lettuce plants.
