Tony O’Neill , expert nurseryman and well - selling source of the famed “ Simplify Vegetable Gardening , ” “ Composting Masterclass , ” and “ Your First Vegetable Garden , ” combines lifelong passion and expert noesis to simplify gardening . His mission ? Helping you cultivate a thriving garden . More on Tony O’Neill

{ “ statusCode”:401,”message”:”License key missing ” }

Growing plants in the colder month can help reduce weed and insect pressures , and a mini ring tunnel or stale physical body can help safeguard crop when temperatures dip to the lower twenty ( -5 ° C ) . Only needing 3 to 5 minute of sunshine , lettuce can be plant in warm territory and mature in the coldness .

An image of fresh green lettuce plants growing in rows outside on a bed of snow. The snow appears as a white blanket covering the ground, while the lettuce leaves poke out from underneath, their vibrant hues contrasting against the winter landscape.

Table of Contents

What’s Not to Love About Winter Lettuce

unremarkably , spring comes , and a planting frenzy ensues , make every endeavour to maximize the cooler spring month before the summer heat hits us . We seed plants indoors , ready to transplant after the last hoarfrost has exit .

gloaming planting is just so different . Starting in warmer conditions , we ’re looking to betray the cold , and dough allow us to do so attractively . Depending on where you live on , several tried and tested loot cultivar will ensure you have fresh salads usable most , if not all , of winter .

I ’ve tried unlike cultivars across the five lettuce types , some with more success than others . Here I partake my results from my trial run using :

Close-up photograph of butterhead lettuce leaves glistening with water droplets. The green leaves have a soft and velvety texture and are arranged in a compact rosette shape. The water droplets on the leaves suggest freshness and hydration.

Late-fall Lettuce Seeds

Just a point to note : Selecting only five is a challenge . I can name quite a few you’re able to try , but the five I pick out are top - notch winners . Below is a list of some of the varieties you should also consider .

extensive lettuce varieties , including butterhead , Romaine , and leaf , are ideal for winter production in mini hoop tunnel . It is critical to understand the growing requirements of winter lettuce , primarily the temperature and soil moisture needs , but also light levels .

Growing sugar in a mini ring tunnel allows you to pass the season , meliorate payoff , and keep nutritious fresh salads a part of your dieting throughout the winter . Your lettuce will get successfully if you ’re attuned to your region ’s seasonal changes .

Close-up photograph of a fresh crisphead lettuce, also known as iceberg lettuce, with tightly packed leaves forming a compact head. The lettuce has a pale green color and a slightly shiny surface, with crisp and crunchy leaves that are commonly used in salads or as a base for sandwiches.

5 Lettuce Varieties to Grow in Winter

Below is my choice of hardy winter lettuce for wintertime salad . Note that some of these may be a challenge for the novice gardener . Although lettuce is one of the easiest crops to maturate , acquire them in stale temperature may ask cold frames or mini ring tunnels .

1. Butterhead Lettuce (Winter Marvel and Salanova® Red Butter)

Butterhead lettuces are one of the most democratic on the loose - foliage lolly varieties . This loose - folio lettuce has a angelical , balmy flavor and a flabby , buttery grain , build them double-dyed for a wintertime salad .

Its out leaves are dark green and tightly packed , while the interior leaves are more delicate and pale unripe . When cut , butterhead lettuce has a round , rosette form and is most often used in salads , sandwiches , and wrapping .

If you live in quick climates , deal one of the new Salanova ® informal - leaf lettuces offering dense rosette heads with attractive , thin , limber leaves .

Close-up image of a round iceberg lettuce, showing the crisp, light-green outer leaves and the tightly packed, pale-yellow core. The lettuce is sitting on a clean, white surface and is surrounded by soft, blurred background.

The Salanova ® Red Butter sluttish - leafage lettuces offer full heads with a circular floor and emerald , on the loose leaf with a delicate , buttery sapidity . Salanova lettuces ( Green Butter and Red Butter ) offer mini heads , and you may mate the two for excellent outcomes .

2. Crisphead Lettuces (Nevada)

The Nevada crisphead lettuce is a variety of lettuce developed in Nevada . It is known for its greenish , honeyed , snappy , crunchy texture and sugared smell . The mild taste of clams is often used in salad and sandwiches .

The Nevada crisphead sugar is very pop in the western United States and commonly recover in foodstuff memory board . It is an first-class source of vitamins and minerals , include vitamin A and K.

3. Iceberg Lettuce (Crispino)

forefend growing crisphead and iceberg lettuces unless you have a dusty physique to protect them from inhuman conditions . Of naturally , you’re able to give it a go if you have a hoop house .

Crispino dough is a loan-blend make by crossing two democratic varieties : the berg and Romaine . It is a crunchy , sweet - taste lettuce with a balmy smell that works well in salads , sandwiches , or wraps .

It ’s a gravid dietetical vulcanized fiber , vitamin 100 , and folic acid rootage . Crispino lettuce is also known for its high water depicted object , which help to keep you hydrated and help to keep your thirst at bay .

Close-up photograph of tiny romaine lettuce plants sprouting from the soil in a garden bed. The vibrant green leaves of the lettuce are visible, with small droplets of water clinging to them, suggesting recent watering.

4. Romaine Lettuce (Winter Density & Winter Wonderland)

Some loot put up the test of time for winter growing seasons that I could ( should have include . The All - American Selection Rouge d’Hiver is one such plant life that has been around for centuries and can be planted in recent fall .

The Winter Density is an heirloom plant offering sweetened , crisp heads that grow between 8 and 10 inches ( 20 to 25 cm ) . It is highly cold liberal , deadening to bolt , and matures quick ( 55 days )

The Winter Wonderland Lettuce is an heirloom salmagundi know for its large , green , frilly leaves with a mild , sweet mouthful .

Close-up photo of fresh leaf lettuce arranged in a rustic woven bamboo tray, with vibrant green leaves arranged in a neat pattern. The natural textures of the bamboo tray complement the organic shapes of the lettuce leaves, creating a visually pleasing and appetizing display.

It is often used in salads and adds a unique grain and savor . This variety of clams is ideal for wintertime grow as it is slow to decamp and can hold up temperatures as low as 20 ° F/-6.7 ° blow .

It is an excellent choice for adding grain and flavor to winter salad or as a garnish for winter dishes and can be embed as late as early November .

5. Leaf Lettuce (Black-Seeded Simpson)

Black - Seeded Simpson is a variety of lettuce know for its sweet , larder flavor . It has a light green color , dark gullible vein , and a frilly texture .

The leaves have a crunchy texture , and the plant grows well in moist , well - drained soil . It is an fantabulous choice for salads , sandwich , and put forward - fries .

Black - sown Simpson scratch is a fast - growing yearly that is easy to grow and can be harvested in as little as 45 24-hour interval . It is an excellent choice for gardeners who require a quick and easy harvest .

A man stands amidst rows of fresh lettuce plants in a vast farm, holding a smartphone in his hand and looking down at the screen. The bright green leaves of the lettuce create a lush and vibrant background for the image.

Winter Garden Requirements

Soil

Keep the pH between 6.0 and 6.5 and the soil well - drain to prevent root infections . Crop rotation is indispensable for reducing or extinguish soil - carry disease such as Sclerotinia and Rhizoctonia .

Water

Continuous soil moisture is take for seed germination during lineal seeding and transplant . The welfare of tack to dripping irrigation are enormous , chiefly for minimize the spread of diseases .

During the cooler months , lettuce plants postulate importantly less water system . Lettuce leave of absence should be proceed as ironical as potential to obviate foliar disease such as gray mould and lettuce free fall .

Light Requirements

The length and intensity level of daytime can affect the charge per unit of lettuce outgrowth . lucre plants can be kept in a mini hoop burrow after acquire and harvested as needed .

dough need at least three 60 minutes of sunlight but does well in abject sparkle .

Timeline

Staggered planting from September to October ( even early November ) allows you to have a continuous supplying of lettuce over an extended turn season . Start with shorter musical interval of about three days , carry the disruption to about two week as the time of year gets colder .

The desired matureness and the temperatures determine harvest appointment during the growth full stop . If the crop proliferates , harvesting earlier than mean may be expect to ensure optimal airflow around the plants , abbreviate peril of foliar contagion .

Depending on the temperature , harvest time might range from 50 to 80 days . Cooler grease temperatures will increase the amount of prison term between planting and harvesting .

A picture of lettuce seeds being poured from a white paper bag onto a soil-filled pot. The small, dark seeds are seen falling from the opening of the bag.

How to Grow Lettuce

Growing Lettuce from Seed

bread germinate about seven to fourteen days after planting in soil temperatures between 60 and 70 ° F ( 15.5 – 21 ° C ) . bet on temperatures , plant lettuce seed directly into the garden in mature transplants in flat .

pelf seeds are susceptible to grunge - borne pathogens and will grow successfully if seeded in flat trays . An inert grow material will ensure good germination between 2 and 10 days after engraft .

Germination is light - dependant , and germ ask to be kept moist throughout . Any interruption in wet supply will kill the seed or baby lettuce .

A thermometer sticking out of the snow with half of its length buried, displaying the temperature measurement. The surrounding area is covered in white snow.

The Importance of Thinning When Growing Lettuce

When the baby loot is a few inch marvelous , and the land in your garden has been prepared , transfer them four to six inch apart . Water them regularly until the plants are established .

lose weight them to a final spacing of ten to twelve inches when they are about six inches tall . weed can be controlled by mulching or periodical culture , and nitrogen - full-bodied raw fertilizers such as kelp meal and fish emulsion can be used as want during the growing cycle .

This cutting process is vital for manoeuvre loot cultivars as it ascertain enough space for effective air circulation and keeps lettuce disease - destitute until they reach matureness .

The two leading suit of foliar infections in your garden are wet leaves ( overhead irrigation ) and insufficient air circulation . If you do n’t space your growing lucre correctly , your head may not form as they contend for urine and nutrient .

Cold Frames and Hot Boxes

works early on , transplant early on , and aim to reap before the ground freezes . If you grow lettuce in USDA Hardiness Zone 1 or 2 in wintertime , moot using a mini hoop burrow or a inhuman framing .

A cold frame is a built environment with a slanted glass room access or windowpane that is South - cladding , provide heat - trapping ultraviolet rays to recruit but not run away . This get the internal chamber to ignite up .

If you ’re living in the colder North and want to garden , I powerfully suggest you invest in build a insensate shape of a hot boxful . A spicy box is a cold build that does n’t only rely on the sun ’s energy but has inner heating mechanisms as well .

Desired Temperatures

Lettuce is quite happy in cool temperatures , and you may grow gelt quite comfortably in temperatures around 40 ° F/4 ° C — the five lean cultivar above all insensate hardy . The whole tabular array listing dough industrial plant is classified as cold - hardy and idealistic for mature a winter salad .

The germination temperature must be between sixty and seventy ( or as gloomy as 45 ° F/7 ° C ) , but the colder it is , the longer the sprouting takes , extending the risk .

Succession Planting

Plant hardier leaf lettuce miscellany and other leafy greens for continued winter salad making . The initial gap should be about three days apart , institute only a few seeds .

These seeds will germinate tight , and you ’ll harvest lettuce in about 55 day . As the soil temperatures cool , stretch out the interruption between the planting to extend your harvest season .

FAQs on Lettuce Varieties to Grow in Winter

What is the most heat - tolerant lettuce variety?Among lettuce varieties , the most passion - tolerant alternative is Summer Crisp lettuce . This wampum eccentric is also known as Batavian moolah and is a cross between crisphead and loose - leaf lettuces . Summer Crisp lettuce can tolerate high temperatures than other lettuce type , crap it a democratic selection for gardeners in warmer climates . Its crunchy grain and slightly sweet flavor make it a with child summation to salad and sandwich . you’re able to easily find more information about this change by using relevant keywords such as “ warmth - tolerant gelt ” or “ Summer Crisp clams ” in your search .

What is the most frost - patient of lettuce?There are several hoar - tolerant kale varieties , but some of the most democratic ones include Winter Density , Arctic King , and Rouge d’Hiver . These assortment can withstand temperatures as low as 20 ° F ( -6 ° light speed ) and can be grown in mini wicket tunnel or cold underframe to bring home the bacon add tribute . wintertime lettuce is an excellent option for cold - season horticulture and can be a reliable source of bracing green goods during winter . When searching for the most hoarfrost - patient of lettuce , debate these varieties and ensure you are attuned to your region ’s seasonal changes for success .

What is the proficient variety of lettuce to grow?The good miscellany of lettuce to grow depends on constituent such as develop part , climate , and personal predilection . However , some popular scratch varieties for home gardeners include Butterhead , Romaine , Leaf , Crisphead , and Summer Crisp . Butterhead cabbage is seraphic and mild with a soft , buttery grain , while Romaine lettuce is love for its crisp leaves and intense flavor . folio lettuce is easy to maturate and comes in various color and textures , while Crisphead lettuce , also known as an iceberg , has a crunchy texture and meek flavor . Summer Crisp lettuce is a newer variety with a crispy texture and gratifying savor . Ultimately , it ’s recommended to try grow different lettuce assortment to bump the ones that fly high in your growing conditions and suit your predilection preference .

In Closing

Whether it ’s cor salad you ’re after or baby lettuce greens , these cold - hardy diverseness will ascertain a remain provision of wintertime salad . A run-in covert will help protect against pests betimes on before the winter calendar month when pests are less of a problem .

Lamb ’s quarter ( purslane or Portulaca oleracea ) is n’t a boodle but is first-class with sweet edible corn sapidity in Zea mays salad . It is also hardy and one of the richest beginning of omega-3 fatso acids , lowering lipid levels in the blood .

I lean five miscellanea , but several others are not remark , like the ruddy oakleaf and the minminer’sttuce ( which isnisn’tttuce but is exceptionally intrepid ) . I hope your winter garden will thrive , even in colder weather .