Fall weather is a perfect lettuce growing time!

As most people know, lettuce likes cool weather. And, while most gardeners plant their lettuce crops in early spring, it’s actually even better if they think to include these in the fall months as well!

If you think about it, the fall provides plenty of warm weather early on to get seedlings up and growing, while providing cool and damp conditions later on. The lack of insects later in the season also helps the plants to reach their fullest potential. Most forms of lettuce, especially the romaine’s are not affected even when the temperatures dip below the freezing point. That makes them perfect for growing in cold frames where a harvest can be extended even into the winter months here in southwest Missouri! I also like to plant a few radish seeds as they mature fast enough to harvest before the real cold sets in!

A new beginning: Fall plantings!

After weathering stifling heat, all summer with little to show in my humble garden (it all burned up), I have bravely gone out and planted anew. The moderating temperatures helped get me out there again. Also, something ate the rabbits which were eating my crops, so that was another good point in favor of a renewed effort on my part.

As a cooler regime seems to be headed this way, it being late August and all, I decided to plant some radishes and lettuce. I did this last week after clearing out the weeds I’d let accumulate in both raised beds. I used a space of about four feet square and used up pretty much the remainder of my Little Caesar romaine seed. I also went ahead and planted a row of Cherry Belle radish as well as a row of kale, using seed that I had harvested from a single plant earlier in the growing season. To my amazement, many of the seeds germinated rather quickly and now I actually have hope of salvaging has been a meager growing season. I’ll just have to wait, water and weed now until the late fall harvest (I hope)!

Hey! What happened to my summer?

It’s like some big switch that was thrown somewhere as I slept. My hot summer has turned into cool autumn and now I miss the heat. (I’m finicky that way). This morning I awoke to a reading of only 57 degrees. Because I’d left my window open, my bedroom felt somewhat like the inside of a malfunctioning fridge. Guess I’ll have to break out the Long John’s before too long. Thank goodness, though, I had the foresight to plant out my lettuce a week or so ago. This is perfect weather for them to grow in. Also, I don’t have to air condition on days like this. Note to self; is it cheaper to air condition or heat a home?

My neighbors across the street, God bless them; already have a fall motif in place on the front yard. While cute, it is yet another grim reminder of what is to come…winter. In answer to this insult, I ran a string of Christmas lights around a front facing window. Take that you fall fascists!

According to the Almanac, this winter might be a beast. Any extra cold and damp weather will no doubt make for some slick country roads. (I’m stocking up on cat litter as I write this). I reside in southwest Missouri, a geographic location that sees the confluence of as many as three distinct climazones. Down here, ice storms are always a possibility and they can be killers. Then there are the rare but heavy snowfalls followed by balmy seventy degree weather. I generally get a cold right about then.

Down in the neighboring recreational park, a large motorcycle swap meet is also being held on this date. An event, I understand, that has been planned for months and which now may suffer in attendance due to the lousy overcast and cool regime. I attended a similar event in April and have to say that not only were there some cool items for sale, the real attraction was the bikers themselves. You see a real cross-section of Americana when you attend a biker event. Some of the dudes look like they just got out of prison while others talk as though they were educated in Princeton. If you’re a people watcher like me, this is nirvana central.

So, it’s off we go into fall. This last summer was a ball, but now it is past, and I’m left out in the cold, holding a bag of cat litter.    

Time to plant that fall lettuce!

I got out this morning and attacked the weeds that had sprouted all over my small raised beds. It was overcast for a change and also a little cooler. While I was at it, I also took out any plants that I felt whose time had come. (That was most of them).

After this arduous task was done, I trenched in some table scraps, broke up the soil as best I could and got them ready for winter. Over the next couple of months, all the scraps from the kitchen (about two pounds per week) will go into the soil. I may then elect to sow some winter rye or other cereal grain to help further improve the overall tilth. By doing this, I will be able to avoid having to purchase any amendments come next spring.

My next chore was to get a couple of starter trays ready to accept romaine seed. I plan on starting twelve plants this weekend and then another twelve next. Once up and growing (in about two weeks), they will be planted in a small section of one of the three raised beds with a few going into the cold frames in my front yard. If all goes well, I’ll have about thirty plants by the end of September (45 days from now).  A few plants will go into the cold frames for an even later harvest.

When planting lettuce seed, I try and make sure to keep them close to the surface of the soil as they require light to germinate. Also, I watch out for the temperature as I like to place my starter trays outside in the shade. If it gets too warm I make sure to bring them inside. (Lettuce seed germinate best in the mid to upper seventy degree range). A last note, if the seed I am using is fresh, I will generally plant only one per cell. If, on the other hand, they are from a previous season, I will go with two or three. You can always thin the herd later on if need be.

Fall lettuce planting.

OK, so it’s the end of July and everyone’s feeling the heat of summer. And, if your garden is at all like mine, it may be a tad overgrown. It’s not that I’m lazy, it’s just too hot to spend much time weeding and such. I generally dart outside just long enough to give everything a drink and then run back in for air conditioned comfort.

But, take heart! One of the best times to garden is right around the corner. This is especially true of cool loving crops like radishes, Brussels sprouts and romaine lettuce. If you plant these out eight weeks prior to the first average frost, you can achieve great results. This is due to the fact that both seed and small transplants will germinate and grow well in the warm soils during the remaining warm weeks and then, as it gets cooler, will really take off. Some of my best harvest have been during this time period!

Ask you might guess, success is all in how well you time everything. So, here are a few hints to perhaps help anyone who’s interested along. Start with a chart that shows the average first date of frost for your particular local. I’m located in the south end of zone 6 and so can expect Jack Frost on or after October the 29th. There is a nifty map can help you figure out your particular target date.

Once you have that firmly in mind, you can begin to make plans on what it is you want to plant and when. If you are going with romaine transplants and you live in SW Missouri as I do you can wait until the beginning of September to place them in the ground. If you are going with seed, then try for mid August. Note however that if the temperatures are above the mid eighties, then you will need to shade the ground. Lettuce, as a rule like cooler ground temperatures in order to germinate. The same is true of the other cole crops to one extent or the other so do a little research.

Now, if you have a cold frame, then you are really in the cat birds seat. Please check out my series of blogs concerning this subject. I was able to maintain a fresh stream of lettuce not only through the fall months, but even in the very early spring by using these to the greatest effect. Note that do not even need to make a very large structure either. In my video on ‘Building a Cold Frame’ I will show you how.