This method can be used three weeks before your average frost date if planting in winter. Seeds can be started indoors and planted in the garden in three weeks. Seeds often sprout in only two to eight days if soil temperatures are between 55 and 75 degrees F. Lettuce grows best when soil temperatures are cool. Temperatures during the growing season determine the right time for harvesting heads of lettuce. Some varieties are adaptable and when to harvest lettuce varies by as much as seven days before or after the designated time. Generally, about 65 days after planting is when to harvest lettuce planted in the fall, while harvesting heads of lettuce from a winter-planted crop will take about 100 days. The variety planted will somewhat determine when to harvest lettuce, as will the season of planting. Lettuce is a cool-season crop that cannot handle extreme heat, so picking lettuce heads is the most successful before temperatures skyrocket in summer. Harvesting heads of lettuce successfully depends in large part on planting at the proper time for your location. Learning how to harvest lettuce isn’t complicated however, a timetable must be followed to ensure that you know how to pick lettuce correctly. (21 C.).Harvesting heads of lettuce is a great way to save money and ensure the main ingredient in your salads is healthy and free of pesticides and diseases. The greens also get bitter when temperatures are higher than 70 degrees F. When planted too late in the season, the plant will bolt (form seed heads). Head lettuce needs cool temperatures and shorter day lengths for best head formation. Transplant the seedlings 10 to 12 inches (25-31 cm.) apart in rows 12 to 18 inches (31-46 cm.) apart. Head lettuce problems that prevent tight forming leaves also include spacing. Start seeds indoors in flats and transplant at least a month before high temperatures are expected. Head lettuce is more suited for northern climates, but gardeners in warmer zones can successfully produce the green. Lettuce is very sensitive to heat and exposure to summer temperatures or a warm spell can keep them from forming correctly. The cooler temperatures of fall provide the ideal conditions for maturing seedlings to produce crisp heads. If you find no head on lettuce a consistent problem, try sowing in late summer. Plants that are grown late into the season will face warmer temperatures, which prevent the formation of tight heads. Failure to thin the plants will prevent them from having the room to form adequate heads. Thin plants that are sown outdoors to at least 10 inches (25 cm.) apart. Spread a thin, 1/8 inch (3 mm.) layer of fine soil over the seeds and keep lightly moist. Direct sow seeds in prepared soil where the plants will receive indirect light and are protected from the hottest rays of the sun. Sow the seeds in early spring after working in a layer of organic matter and tilling to a depth of at least 6 inches (15 cm.). Lettuce grows well in organically rich soil with superior drainage. Fixing no head formation on your lettuce crop means providing temperatures and site conditions that encourage formation. Pest problems are easy to deal with, but only climactic conditions can ensure head formation. (21 C.) Although relatively easy to grow, head lettuce problems may range from slug and snail damage to loose heads. Lettuce is a cool season crop that will bolt or fail to fix heads when daytime temperatures are higher than 70 degrees F. Head lettuce problems can be prevented by using transplants or planting in fall in most regions. If you ask why my lettuce is not forming heads, you’ll need to know the reasons for no lettuce heads. Gardeners in warmer climates with shorter cold periods may find they get no head on lettuce crops. Head lettuces like iceberg and romaine require cool temperatures and grow well in spring or fall in most zones. Crisp, sweet head lettuce is a mainstay for those first barbequed burgers and spring salads.
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