Oakleaf Lettuce
I have been experimenting on the types of lettuce that will grow well in my garden. So far I’m successful. Like this red oakleaf lettuce I planted a month ago. They are so good, crunchy and sweet. I like the red color in combination with the green leaves of the Manoa lettuce in my salad bowl. I tried to do succession plantings so I won’t run out of lettuce for my salad. So while I am enjoying this red oakleaf lettuce, I have already sowed another variety called prize head lettuce. It is also a loose leaf type but the leaves have a tinge of red or maroon color. It is also crispy and sweet. I am ready to transplant them as soon as I find a space in the garden.
Lettuce is rich in minerals and vitamins A,B,C, D and E so it is really worth planting them even in a pot if you don’t have much space.
Lettuce is easy to grow. It needs loamy soil and consistent watering. I mix blood meal and compost to the soil and just dress a little bit of a balance fertilizer every two weeks during the growing phase. It needs nitrogen for good leaves and blood meal provides that. Chicken manure is also a good source of nitrogen, but sometimes it is so strong that plants wilt. It also needs full sun but needs protection during summer months because the intense heat will cause it to bolt prematurely and that will make the leaves to taste bitter. I cover the lettuce bed with window screens if intense heat is in the forecast.