How to Grow Laitue Batavia Iceberg Lettuce

Lettuces are a family of closely related greens, usually but not invariably eaten raw. They have a mild delicate flavor, but can become bitter when the weather is hot or if they're allowed to get water-stressed. Lettuces flourish best in cool weather. They grow well in the spring and fall, but are prone to "bolt," or go to seed, during hot weather. Leaf lettuces generally have better flavor, but iceberg varieties are crisper and juicier. Batavia-type lettuces, popular in Europe, are midway between the two, producing a compact head in the middle of large, dark-green leaves.

Batavia lettuce seeds
Mulch, aged manure or nitrogen-based fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Sow the Batavia seeds directly into the soil, once it is dry enough to cultivate. The seeds will not germinate until the soil reaches an average temperature of more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2
  Seed the rows 12 inches apart, to allow the plants room to grow large heads. As the lettuces grow to thumb size, thin them to a 10- to 12-inch spacing between plants.
- 3
  Ensure that lettuces receive full sun for at least part of the day and good light for the remainder.
- 4
  Feed the lettuce beds regularly with good mulch, well-aged manure or a nitrogen-heavy fertilizer.
- 5
  Harvest your lettuce once you feel the size of the head is adequate. The best time is in the early morning, after the dew has evaporated but while the soil and the lettuce are still cool.

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