It helps to accept that being totally self sufficient in food is a quite unrealistic goal for most people, including me. And chocolate needs a tropical climate. But with trial and error I have found that good old lettuces grow really well and provide quick growing delicious vitamin rich power food. Food from the garden, with fresh cut chicory and parsley and the occasional spring onion or red mizuna leaf as well. Or even a Red Cayenne chilli !
Well prepped garden beds or indoor beds should be pre fed. Lettuce can grow in all but the hottest summer months. So all year production is possible with successional sowing, say a tray of fresh seed, or quarter of a packet, every week or fortnight. This keeps a cycle of young plants coming along as the older ones are cut and eaten. They like full sunlight but also lots of rain or water. Plants like to be watered daily, either automatically, or with rainfall, or by hand to get those dry spots missed by the sprinkler. They suit hydroponic and semi-soil water based growing systems as well, with nutrients feeding rootsystems grown in pipes and troughs of flowing water. In Westland the seasonal use of a tunnel house extends their growing period and keeps off the drying, cold winds.
Seedlings of Lattuga ciucca, an Italian "fringed" variety.
Red, Green and In between
Modern lettuce lovers don't tend to go for the old school big head of lettuce. The modern fad is for cut and come again leaves or mixed open style lettuces, with the more colours and freckles the better. I have found that as far as growing varieties the red Lollo Rosso is one of the hardiest and more productive types here in Westland.
The picture shows a popular style of open "fringed" variety, Lattuga ciucca, originally from Italy. These leafy greens are sometimes called "drunken woman" types from the relaxed open shape. Many different colours are now produced for salads and sandwich bars worldwide. Other related hotter leaves can be added to spice up a salad. Mizuna, and mustard are easy, rocket is very difficult. Two older types of lettuce still in high regard are the long straight, crunchy Cos, and the green Webb's Wonderful, known as an "Iceberg" type, that is, wavy and crisp with a small heart.
A mixed tray of four different lettuce varieties grown in the tunnel house as microgreens.
Worst Enemies
The main challenge they face are slugs and snails. Controlling slugs is really the key to growing lettuces. Ideally you should run a flock of ducks through your growing area and all snails will be gone, then run chooks and all snail eggs will be eaten. Then plant lettuces. I avoid toxic baits and use birds instead: blackbirds and wekas are particularly good at getting slugs. But all this must be backed up with night raids at varying hours of darkness. Armed with a torch and bucket of salt you stalk the midnight garden and pluck the offenders from your precious crops until - miraculously - the numbers wil reduce. Have faith! In the Old Ways.
Growing lettuces and salads is very easy and rewarding. They are one of the first things you should consider growing if you are in search of that elusive goal of self sufficiency. It is fun to try new varieties and run with your successes.
Oudoor clump of ten lettuce plants with the beans and marigolds.
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