Lettuce

I have only tried planting the Romaine lettuce and I have been successful so far the second time. The first time, I think I planted them late in the Spring, here in North Carolina, by that time the weather can be really hot already so it did not germinate. I planted them before in between trellis to provide the lettuce with shade during the heat of the day. Still the Romaine lettuce can withstand warm weather better than most other lettuce I think.

When and How to plant. Sow directly in garden as early as soil can be made fine and loose. Lettuce is cool weather vegetable. Plant seeds every 2 inches, covering firmly with soil. Lettuce will need plenty of moisture. Also, fall crops may have to be started indoors since lettuce has a difficult time even germinating in hot weather. Transplant with care.

Light	Cool weather plant
Seed Depth	1/4 in
Spacing Row/plant	18 in/8 in
Days to germinate	7-10
Days to harvest	68

Perpetual Lettuce bed- start another batch every three weeks. Starting a new crop regularly is crucial to the taste of the lettuce. Young lettuce is much preferred, and you'll have all you'll need. Around the end of May switch to a summer type of leaf lettuce, grow it in a shadier spot and keep it well watered.

You can also grow lettuce in pots.

Harvest. Lettuce will provide you with cut-and-come-again for up to two months. After a few weeks get out the scissors and cut yourself a salad. Some people harvest only the outer leaves, but it's easiest to just grab the top of the plant and slice off everything an inch above the lowest leaves, just like cutting the grass. As long as you don't cut into the growing point (just above the roots), everything will grow back. You can do this as often as you wish until the leaves start to taste a little bitter, then the plant's ready for the compost pile.

Health Benefits. Want to maximize the health benefits of your salads? Start with romaine lettuce for a salad guaranteed to be packed with nutrients. The vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and fiber found in romaine lettuce are especially good for the prevention or alleviation of many common health complaints.

Due to its extremely low calorie content and high water volume, romaine lettuce--while often overlooked in the nutrition world--is actually a very nutritious food. Based on its nutrient richness, our food ranking system qualified it as an excellent source of vitamin A (notably through its concentration of the pro-vitamin A carotenoid, beta-carotene), vitamin K, folate, and vitamin C. Romaine lettuce also emerged from our ranking system as a very good source of dietary fiber and 4 minerals.

Salad Days Keep Your Heart Young

Romaine's vitamin C and beta-carotene content make it a heart-healthy green. Vitamin C and beta-carotene work together to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol. When cholesterol becomes oxidized, it becomes sticky and starts to build up in the artery walls forming plaques. If these plaques become too large, they can block off blood flow or break, causing a clot that triggers a heart attack or stroke. The fiber in Romaine lettuce adds another plus in its column of heart-healthy effects. In the colon, fiber binds to bile salts and removes them from the body. This forces the body to make more bile, which is helpful because it must break down cholesterol to do so. This is just one way in which fiber is able to lower high cholesterol levels.

Equally beneficial to heart health is Romaine's folic acid content. This B vitamin is needed by the body to convert a damaging chemical called homocysteine into other, benign substances. If not converted, homocysteine can directly damage blood vessels, thus greatly increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. In addition, romaine lettuce is a very good source of potassium, which has been shown in numerous studies to be useful in lowering high blood pressure, another risk factor for heart disease. With its folic acid, vitamin C, beta-carotene, potassium, and fiber content, romaine lettuce can significantly contribute to a heart-healthy diet. (Source: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=61)