Some of you have asked about growing lettuce. Once you start growing it yourself, you will see what a horrendous rip-off store-bought lettuce can be. Home-grown is crunchier, tastes better and the fancy/exotic “spring mix” type greens are just as easy to grow as a delicious head of butter lettuce. The big plus I’ve found is that you get what seems like 100% germination. It all comes up. The first batch takes about 50-60 days to fully mature. Then you just cut the leaves off (without pulling the roots) and it just grows back.
This year I’ve got “Tom Thumb” (big, green, almost spinach-y leaves), Buttercrunch (soft leaves, big tight, crunchy heads) and “French mix” which is a blend of differently colored and shaped greens including romaine and chicory. I’ve also got a row of arugula for spice. Last year I grew our lettuce in one of those wooden window boxes, set on the ground. This year, with the wider, raised beds, I’ve got even more. So…anyone out there with an avocado tree want to trade?
July 10, 2008 at 4:07 am
You have the best arugula on earth! And those butter lettuces!!! I want a care package! m
July 24, 2008 at 2:07 pm
So true. There is nothing like homegrown lettuce. Store bought can’t compare.
November 23, 2008 at 5:40 am
Yum, Bettie. Since our backyard food forest is still ramping up, we’ve been getting our lettuce delivered from http://www.auntieemsdelivery.com for several weeks now. Always a surprise, always amazing.
We’re going to try to come by on a walk tomorrow around brunch time…will you be around? ADN + MK + Maximo over in the 90039