Lettuce

Winter is the perfect time to grow lettuce in Florida.

Lettuce comes in four major types: crisphead, butterhead, leaf and romaine. All can be grown in Florida, but leaf lettuce often works best since it's more suited to our mild climate and can be harvested throughout the season.

Good leaf lettuce selections for Florida include 'Black-seeded Simpson', 'Red Sails' and many Salad Bowl varieties.

You can start yours from seed or purchase transplants. Try planting in the ground, in containers, or even in a floating hydroponic garden.

When you should plant depends on where you live, so check with your local Extension office for exact planting dates.

With proper watering and care, your lettuce should be ready to harvest within a few months of planting.

UF/IFAS Sites

• Five Fall Vegetables for the Home Gardener
• Florida Plant ID: Lettuce
• Florida Gardening Calendar

UF/IFAS Publications

• Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide
• Grow a Salad This Winter by Adding Lettuce to Your Garden (PDF)
• Romaine – Lactuca sativa L.

Also on Gardening in a Minute

• Cool Season Vegetables
• Floating Hydroponic Gardens

Other Sites

• Fall-planted Lettuce--Louisiana State University AgCenter
• Home Garden Lettuce--University of Georgia Cooperative Extension
• Lettuce--Clemson (SC) Cooperative Extension

• Lettuce is the "Plant of the Month" for January. See other featured plants.