Why Grow Salad Greens in Pots?

Greens are easy to grow and delicious to consume – the perfect combination! Not only that but growing salad greens at home helps reduce food miles while providing children with an engaging activity for themselves and a worthwhile project to work on together.

At your local hardware store, look for a galvanized steel container with drainage holes to use as an herb container planter and also grow salad greens. Our herb planter also works great!

Lettuce is Easy to Grow

Lettuce is one of the easiest vegetables to cultivate in a container garden, requiring minimal space and starting indoors (although an earlier harvest may result), while being resistant to most pests and diseases. Plus, lettuce thrives even in cool weather environments so can be planted outdoors as soon as the soil temperature permits.

When planting lettuce in a pot, it requires an organic potting mix with drainage holes and light in texture that includes compost or natural fertilizers such as manures. Lettuce plants require constant moisture; you should water when the top inch of soil feels dry – using either an irrigation system with dripper spouts or even just using an ordinary watering can with narrow spouts can work equally as effectively.

No matter if you choose seeds or transplants, planting the seed early spring can give the crop enough time to mature before heat sets in. When selecting varieties to plant from seeds it’s also important to choose ones grown responsibly in your region – for example heirloom or organic varieties grown responsibly may give an added layer of protection from sunburned lettuce plants.

If you prefer purchasing lettuce plants, loose-leaf varieties that do not form tight heads may be easier and more resistant to warmer temperatures, extending harvest windows.

Once your salad greens are ready to harvest, you must thin the plants to allow room for growth and prevent overcrowding. Starting when lettuce reaches 3 inches tall, start by picking from outer rows as needed while leaving inner plants to continue growing. As you harvest your lettuce you can mound some dirt around each base to help stabilize it until its roots reestablish themselves.

If you’re interested in growing an array of vegetables, use multiple containers and stagger your plantings to extend the salad gardening season. A well-equipped patio, porch or balcony garden can supply you with leafy greens all year long!

Lettuce Grows Fast

No matter if it’s loose-leaf lettuce or butterhead or crisp head varieties that you are growing in containers, you will be amazed at their rapid development. Loose-leaf varieties are ready for harvest three weeks post planting while heads take up to 80 days until harvest time comes around.

As lettuce is a cool season crop, it thrives best in moderate temperatures. Hot summer temperatures can quickly cause lettuce to become bitter and bolt (start flowering and producing seeds), so if you live in an extremely hot climate it’s essential that containers be shaded during their afternoon heat cycles by using an umbrella, moving containers to more shaded locations, or planting alongside taller vegetables that provide protection from direct sunlight.

Consistent moisture levels are key to keeping lettuce plants happy. Lettuce doesn’t like dry soil, while pelleted seeds require adequate water to dissolve their coating and encourage proper germinating. Keep a watering can handy and use it whenever necessary to moisten the soil as required; additionally, consider mixing in some well-composted compost for enhanced drainage and enhanced nutrients.

Maintain a steady supply of fresh greens by sowing new seeds or transplants every three to four weeks and harvesting regularly to replace older plants with the freshest yield possible. By doing this, you’ll see greater returns while saving yourself the cost and hassle associated with buying store-bought lettuce.

When selecting a container for lettuce, look for something wide and shallow that can support its rapid growth. Loose-leaf lettuce thrives in 12-inch wide containers; head lettuce will require deeper pots. Food-grade containers with drainage holes are an ideal choice.

Add compost for increased nutrient levels and disease protection, and choose a container gardening mix tailored specifically for containers as regular garden soil tends to compact in planter boxes, impairing airflow and leading to waterlogging issues.

Lettuce is Easy to Harvest

Lettuce is one of the quickest and easiest crops to cultivate for a fresh garden salad in containers. As it thrives during cool seasons such as spring or fall planting directly outside or inside greenhouses and cold frames, two pots can provide enough growing space for you to harvest your own salad greens weekly – creating instantaneous satisfaction!

Salad greens thrive best when given full sun, although partial shade will do. Because these crops belong to the cool season crop group, they also require mild temperatures; too high temperatures could prompt their bolting (beginning flowering). Ideal temperatures range between 68-77 degrees Fahrenheit (20-25 Celsius).

To keep salad greens looking their best, be sure to water them regularly. With such shallow roots, they don’t require deep containers – 10-12 inches will do just fine – however drainage holes must be added with a drill before planting and use only sterile potting mix – such as Bachmans, Hugo Feed Mill or Hedberg Landscape can provide these.

Harvesting should be completed carefully so as to not damage your plants while stripping the outer leaves away, encouraging new leaves from developing in their place. To harvest lettuce successfully (it works just as well for spinach, mizuna and arugula too!), try the “cut-and-come-again” method; or cut above each leaf base gently with scissors using a ponytail chop technique.

Make sure that when harvesting, only a few leaves at a time are removed, leaving the rest intact and continuing the growth process of each plant. By doing this several times each season, each will likely yield three to four harvests.

Lettuce is Easy to Store

Container gardening makes harvesting greens easy: simply harvest as often as necessary and store in the fridge, for fresh salads every week. Just remember to store lettuce away from fruits that emit ethylene gas as this will hasten its deterioration.

Lettuce can thrive in containers provided the planting medium is rich, loose and moisture retaining; an organic matter-rich potting mix such as peat is ideal. Most soil types will work; acidic conditions slow germination rates. Prior to planting it is also advised that organic matter such as grass clippings, straw or compost be added into the soil for maximum germination success.

Once planted, lettuce seedlings typically emerge rapidly when conditions are ideal. They should be kept slightly shaded and watered regularly to avoid overheating which leads to bolting; successive crops can be planted every couple of weeks for continuous supplies throughout summer and fall.

There are various varieties of leaf, butterhead and romaine lettuce to select from. Black Seeded Simpson is an old-time light leaf variety that excels during spring and fall months; Red Sails features red tints on its green leaves to withstand summer heat; while Sierra Batavian boasts thick romaine-esque leaves for optimal results.

Grow Your Own Fresh Salad GreensWhether starting with just a few containers or fully committing to a raised bed, growing fresh salad greens is an immensely satisfying experience. Lettuce is an easy and accessible vegetable to grow; making it the ideal first pick for beginner gardeners. Be sure to give this nutritious food a try – you won’t regret it! UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Tim Long in Stanislaus County recommends giving this nutritional food a go – you won’t regret it! UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Tim Long has years of experience growing this food source in Stanislaus County.