{"id":13113,"date":"2021-07-30T15:44:21","date_gmt":"2021-07-30T22:44:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/?p=13113"},"modified":"2023-09-30T20:35:30","modified_gmt":"2023-10-01T03:35:30","slug":"growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/","title":{"rendered":"Growing summer lettuce in Southern California"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>\u201cLettuce, a cool-season vegetable, is extremely sensitive to high temperatures,\u201d it reads on page 385 of the California Master Gardener Handbook. Well, the average high temperature in the summer in my neighborhood of Southern California is the low 90\u2019s . . . but let\u2019s still give it a shot!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Actually, I\u2019ve been giving summer lettuce a shot for more than 15 years. It\u2019s just so refreshing to have cool, crisp lettuce with lunch on a summer afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two most important things I\u2019ve learned about overcoming the fact that lettuce doesn\u2019t want to grow in the summer heat are to choose the right varieties and to be obsessively attentive &#8212; to never let the plants stress about water or root growth, from germination all the way until harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are details about those two factors and some other tips I\u2019ve learned about growing lettuce in the summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Weather<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s the perfect weather for lettuce? You\u2019ll read that <a href=\"https:\/\/anrcatalog.ucanr.edu\/pdf\/7216.pdf\">lettuce prefers to grow in temperatures in the low 70s<\/a>, and elsewhere you\u2019ll read that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.johnnyseeds.com\/growers-library\/webinar\/webinar-lettuce-and-greens-for-southern-growers-slideshow-pdf.html\">optimal growing temperature for lettuce is between 60 and 70<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Regardless, we in Southern California know that the closer your garden is to the ocean, the cooler it is &#8212; and the closer the temperatures are to 70 degrees &#8212; in the summer. Therefore, growing lettuce in the summer right by the beach isn\u2019t as much of a challenge as it is inland. Near the beach, you mostly need to keep your lettuce consistently watered in order to have success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Compare these two plots of lettuce growing in August 2020 in the Carpinteria Community Garden, which is a couple blocks from the Pacific Ocean:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/bolting-green-lettuces-August-Carpinteria.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/bolting-green-lettuces-August-Carpinteria.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13117\" style=\"width:505px;height:478px\" width=\"505\" height=\"478\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/bolting-green-lettuces-August-Carpinteria.jpg 505w, https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/bolting-green-lettuces-August-Carpinteria-480x454.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 505px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bolted. Looks like it wasn&#8217;t watered well.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/excellent-red-lettuces-August-Carpinteria.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/excellent-red-lettuces-August-Carpinteria.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13116\" style=\"width:513px;height:470px\" width=\"513\" height=\"470\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/excellent-red-lettuces-August-Carpinteria.jpg 513w, https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/excellent-red-lettuces-August-Carpinteria-480x440.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 513px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Beautiful. Looks well-hydrated and well-everything else.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Varieties<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, the farther inland you live, the more important it is to grow certain types and varieties of lettuce during summer. The iceberg type of lettuce is the least tolerant of heat. Romaines and butterheads and Batavian types are more tolerant of heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moreover, within these lettuce types there are specific varieties that do better in the summer, meaning they have a reluctance to bolt (flower), are less likely to taste bitter, and are less likely to get brown leaf edges (tipburn).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The last couple summers, I mostly grew two varieties: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reneesgarden.com\/products\/lettuce-romaine-organic-jericho\">Jericho<\/a> (a romaine) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reneesgarden.com\/products\/lettuce-butter-organic-kagraner-sommer\">Kagraner Sommer<\/a> (a butterhead). Both claimed heat tolerance, and they performed decently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Jericho-lettuce-interplanted-with-peppers-July-2019.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Jericho-lettuce-interplanted-with-peppers-July-2019.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13118\" style=\"width:562px;height:434px\" width=\"562\" height=\"434\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Jericho-lettuce-interplanted-with-peppers-July-2019.jpg 562w, https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Jericho-lettuce-interplanted-with-peppers-July-2019-480x371.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 562px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jericho lettuce interplanted with peppers, July 2019.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kagraner-Sommer-lettuce-July-2020.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kagraner-Sommer-lettuce-July-2020.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13119\" style=\"width:392px;height:422px\" width=\"392\" height=\"422\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kagraner Sommer lettuce harvest, July 2020.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But last summer a farmer I know was growing better lettuce plants in inland Southern California of a different variety: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.johnnyseeds.com\/vegetables\/lettuce\/summer-crisp-lettuce-batavia\/magenta-lettuce-seed-2382.html\">Magenta<\/a>. So this year, I\u2019m growing that variety and another variety called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.johnnyseeds.com\/vegetables\/lettuce\/summer-crisp-lettuce-batavia\/muir-organic-lettuce-seed-3881G.html\">Muir<\/a>. Here at the end of July, both of these varieties have gone through the longest days of summer and a good amount of heat (in my yard: 19 days of 95 degrees or higher) and are performing even better than Jericho and Kagraner Sommer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I can\u2019t say for sure how much this is due to variety &#8212; because I think I\u2019ve improved my growing in a couple other ways too &#8212; but I can say that my summer lettuce this year is the best I\u2019ve ever grown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My Magenta and Muir seeds were purchased from Johnny\u2019s Selected Seeds, who also recently held a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.johnnyseeds.com\/growers-library\/webinar\/webinar-series-lettuce-and-greens-for-southern-growers.html\">webinar about growing lettuce in summer heat<\/a>. Some other varieties that were recommended in the webinar include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.johnnyseeds.com\/vegetables\/lettuce\/romaine-lettuce-cos\/monte-carlo-lettuce-seed-3207.html\">Monte Carlo<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.johnnyseeds.com\/vegetables\/lettuce\/romaine-lettuce-cos\/coastal-star-organic-lettuce-seed-2963G.html\">Coastal Star<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.johnnyseeds.com\/vegetables\/lettuce\/summer-crisp-lettuce-batavia\/cherokee-lettuce-seed-2741.html\">Cherokee<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sowing lettuce seed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re going to grow lettuce in the summer, and you\u2019re going to choose the best genetics (varieties), then you\u2019re probably going to be starting your plants from seed. It\u2019s unlikely that a nursery will be selling seedlings of the best summer lettuce varieties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Be aware that lettuce seed does not like soil temperatures over about 75 degrees. To germinate lettuce seed best, try to keep the soil (by keeping the surrounding air) to around 70 or below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means you\u2019re best not trying to directly sow the seeds in the garden dirt, which might be too warm. Sow them in containers which you can keep in the shade, even indoors. Down on a concrete floor will always be even cooler than up on a table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Soil fertility<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last week, I was talking to the farmer who grew Magenta lettuce last summer. \u201cMagenta is doing well for me,&#8221; I told him. &#8220;Thanks for recommending it.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMine all bolted while still small,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat happened?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLettuce needs attention. It needs to be cultivated. If you let weeds grow, it can\u2019t compete. And you know I don\u2019t spray herbicides so I\u2019m dependent on labor and I can\u2019t find anyone to work in the fields right now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This farmer also told me that lettuce needs ample nitrogen in the soil so it grows fast right from the beginning of its life or else it will be stunted and it will try to flower before you get a harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>High nitrogen and overall soil fertility might be part of the success of my lettuces this summer compared to previous summers, as I am growing them in containers full of <a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/chickens-my-gardens-little-helpers\/\">my homemade compost<\/a>, which contains chicken manure, rather than in garden dirt as usual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/summer-lettuce-growing-in-containers-of-compost.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/summer-lettuce-growing-in-containers-of-compost-821x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13121\" style=\"width:441px;height:550px\" width=\"441\" height=\"550\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Summer lettuce growing in containers of &#8220;chicken compost&#8221;.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re going to grow summer lettuce in containers, I&#8217;d recommend not using cheap potting soil. One that my farmer friend recommended and which I&#8217;ve had good success with while growing other plants is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kellogggarden.com\/products\/gborganics\/gb-organics-blue-ribbon-potting-soil\/\">G&amp;B Organics Blue Ribbon Blend<\/a>. Another that I have had good results with is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.recipe420.com\/products\/\">Recipe 420<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Transplanting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This reminded me of something I heard many of the farmers in the Johnny\u2019s webinar say about growing successful summer lettuce, which is to avoid slowing the plants down by letting them get rootbound by waiting too long to transplant the seedlings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You must transplant into the ground or a bigger container on time, <em>before<\/em> the lettuce plant\u2019s roots fill its container. You can\u2019t slow the growth of the summer lettuce plant by restricting the expansion of its roots or the plant will be stunted, and even a temporary halt to its growth will encourage bolting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/seedling-of-Magenta-lettuce.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/seedling-of-Magenta-lettuce.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13122\" style=\"width:374px;height:425px\" width=\"374\" height=\"425\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">I would like to have transplanted this Magenta seedling yesterday, but today will be okay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Watering<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to growing in fertile soil and transplanting on time, lettuce plants in the summer &#8212; especially when young &#8212; cannot be allowed to stress and have their growth halted by drying out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Man, these summer lettuce plants are finicky! Just grow lettuce in the cooler seasons if this sounds like too much effort. See <a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-and-harvesting-lettuce-in-southern-california\/\">my post about growing lettuce in Southern California in fall, winter, and spring<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Water stress (shown by wilted leaves lying flat on the soil) makes the leaves more likely to get brown edges and the plant more likely to bolt. When a lettuce plant bolts it first elongates its center stalk and then flowers emerge, but right when this process begins the leaves on the whole plant will start to taste bitter, and there&#8217;s nothing you can do to stop this bitterness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Right now, I\u2019m watering my mature lettuce plants with a single drip emitter in each one-gallon container. I run the drip system at 7 AM every morning, applying about one-third of a gallon of water each run (each day).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shade and evaporative cooling<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because lettuce prefers to grow in temperatures around 70, creating an environment close to that would seem to yield the best results. Shade reduces the temperature around the plants. I\u2019ve used 50 percent shade cloth and 30 percent shade cloth over my summer lettuce many times in order to keep the plants cooler. I\u2019ve also placed plants near or under the shade cast by larger plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to shade, some of the farmers in the Johnny\u2019s webinar mist or sprinkle their lettuce plants for evaporative cooling. One farmer said that sprinkling the leaves with water for 15 minutes every couple hours through the middle of the day has worked well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I had always showered my lettuce plants on hot summer days too . . . up until a few weeks ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since early July I have been growing my lettuce in full sun and without doing any afternoon sprinkling. The daytime highs during this period have been between 87 and 99, and my plants have <em>improved<\/em>. I now have less tipburn on the plants and less rot lower down on some interior leaves. Maybe even 30 percent shade was too much. Maybe the overhead watering had been keeping the leaves wet for too long; or maybe I had been sprinkling too often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Regardless, the results are undeniable &#8212; surprising but undeniable. The plants simply look better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Magenta-lettuce.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Magenta-lettuce.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13124\" style=\"width:461px;height:470px\" width=\"461\" height=\"470\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Magenta lettuce growing in full sun in late July 2021. (In high temperatures, this variety loses much of the magenta color that its leaves have in cooler weather.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>So, I have to wonder now whether the shade and evaporative cooling was unnecessary &#8212; except perhaps when temps reach over 100? &#8212; and were they possibly even harmful. I\u2019ll update this at the end of the summer as I continue to test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Early harvest, morning harvest<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, one more tip mentioned in the Johnny\u2019s webinar was to harvest earlier than in the cooler months. Rather than waiting for the lettuce plant to form a large head, it\u2019s best to harvest a bit sooner and not risk bolting, which can happen very fast in warmer weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As for my lettuce this summer, instead of waiting for a head to form I\u2019ve been using a different harvesting style altogether by picking outer leaves off each plant each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or each morning, I should say. In the summer, it\u2019s vital to harvest lettuce in the morning when the leaves are still cool and turgid. Immediately get the lettuce into the fridge after harvest too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you forget to harvest in the morning, and you must have a salad with dinner, then get a bowl of ice water ready before picking. Plunge the leaves in right after and they should become acceptably crisp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/morning-harvest-of-summer-lettuce.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/morning-harvest-of-summer-lettuce.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13114\" style=\"width:441px;height:503px\" width=\"441\" height=\"503\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Muir and Magenta lettuce.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>On Tuesday morning my son helped pick the lettuce above, and we put it into the fridge. Then we made lettuce tacos with tuna at lunch time. Cool summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/lettuce-tacos-with-tuna.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/lettuce-tacos-with-tuna.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13126\" style=\"width:527px;height:434px\" width=\"527\" height=\"434\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/lettuce-tacos-with-tuna.jpg 527w, https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/lettuce-tacos-with-tuna-480x395.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 527px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>My general lettuce growing post is <a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-and-harvesting-lettuce-in-southern-california\/\"><strong>HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All of my Yard Posts are listed <a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/list-of-yard-posts\/\"><strong>HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Yard Posts are reader supported, not advertisement driven. Consider <a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/supporting-the-yard-posts\/\">supporting my work<\/a>. Thanks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cLettuce, a cool-season vegetable, is extremely sensitive to high temperatures,\u201d it reads on page 385 of the California Master Gardener Handbook. Well, the average high temperature in the summer in my neighborhood of Southern California is the low 90\u2019s . . . but let\u2019s still give it a shot! Actually, I\u2019ve been giving summer lettuce [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13127,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[112],"class_list":["post-13113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-vegetables","tag-lettuce"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Growing summer lettuce in Southern California - Greg Alder&#039;s Yard Posts: Southern California food gardening<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The keys are choosing the right varieties, growing in fertile soil, and watering sufficiently and always on time.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Growing summer lettuce in Southern California - Greg Alder&#039;s Yard Posts: Southern California food gardening\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The keys are choosing the right varieties, growing in fertile soil, and watering sufficiently and always on time.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Greg Alder&#039;s Yard Posts: Southern California food gardening\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-07-30T22:44:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-10-01T03:35:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Growing-summer-lettuce-in-Southern-California.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"700\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"578\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Greg Alder\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Greg Alder\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Greg Alder\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/#\/schema\/person\/7c17362732023b01ed23dc69d6fa703a\"},\"headline\":\"Growing summer lettuce in Southern California\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-07-30T22:44:21+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-10-01T03:35:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/\"},\"wordCount\":1757,\"commentCount\":13,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/#\/schema\/person\/7c17362732023b01ed23dc69d6fa703a\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Growing-summer-lettuce-in-Southern-California.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"lettuce\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Vegetables\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/\",\"name\":\"Growing summer lettuce in Southern California - Greg Alder&#039;s Yard Posts: Southern California food gardening\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Growing-summer-lettuce-in-Southern-California.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-07-30T22:44:21+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-10-01T03:35:30+00:00\",\"description\":\"The keys are choosing the right varieties, growing in fertile soil, and watering sufficiently and always on time.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Growing-summer-lettuce-in-Southern-California.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Growing-summer-lettuce-in-Southern-California.jpg\",\"width\":700,\"height\":578,\"caption\":\"Growing summer lettuce in Southern California\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Growing summer lettuce in Southern California\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/\",\"name\":\"Greg Alder&#039;s Yard Posts: Southern California food gardening\",\"description\":\"Southern California food gardening\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/#\/schema\/person\/7c17362732023b01ed23dc69d6fa703a\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/#\/schema\/person\/7c17362732023b01ed23dc69d6fa703a\",\"name\":\"Greg Alder\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7ef6613d5043bdbb67157e2bfbbecb138148fad9c893cd424f6f14c5f7ff393e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7ef6613d5043bdbb67157e2bfbbecb138148fad9c893cd424f6f14c5f7ff393e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7ef6613d5043bdbb67157e2bfbbecb138148fad9c893cd424f6f14c5f7ff393e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Greg Alder\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7ef6613d5043bdbb67157e2bfbbecb138148fad9c893cd424f6f14c5f7ff393e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/gregalder.com\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Growing summer lettuce in Southern California - Greg Alder&#039;s Yard Posts: Southern California food gardening","description":"The keys are choosing the right varieties, growing in fertile soil, and watering sufficiently and always on time.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Growing summer lettuce in Southern California - Greg Alder&#039;s Yard Posts: Southern California food gardening","og_description":"The keys are choosing the right varieties, growing in fertile soil, and watering sufficiently and always on time.","og_url":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/","og_site_name":"Greg Alder&#039;s Yard Posts: Southern California food gardening","article_published_time":"2021-07-30T22:44:21+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-10-01T03:35:30+00:00","og_image":[{"width":700,"height":578,"url":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Growing-summer-lettuce-in-Southern-California.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Greg Alder","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Greg Alder","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/"},"author":{"name":"Greg Alder","@id":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/#\/schema\/person\/7c17362732023b01ed23dc69d6fa703a"},"headline":"Growing summer lettuce in Southern California","datePublished":"2021-07-30T22:44:21+00:00","dateModified":"2023-10-01T03:35:30+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/"},"wordCount":1757,"commentCount":13,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/#\/schema\/person\/7c17362732023b01ed23dc69d6fa703a"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Growing-summer-lettuce-in-Southern-California.jpg","keywords":["lettuce"],"articleSection":["Vegetables"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/","url":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/","name":"Growing summer lettuce in Southern California - Greg Alder&#039;s Yard Posts: Southern California food gardening","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Growing-summer-lettuce-in-Southern-California.jpg","datePublished":"2021-07-30T22:44:21+00:00","dateModified":"2023-10-01T03:35:30+00:00","description":"The keys are choosing the right varieties, growing in fertile soil, and watering sufficiently and always on time.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Growing-summer-lettuce-in-Southern-California.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Growing-summer-lettuce-in-Southern-California.jpg","width":700,"height":578,"caption":"Growing summer lettuce in Southern California"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/growing-summer-lettuce-in-southern-california\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Growing summer lettuce in Southern California"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/#website","url":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/","name":"Greg Alder&#039;s Yard Posts: Southern California food gardening","description":"Southern California food gardening","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/#\/schema\/person\/7c17362732023b01ed23dc69d6fa703a"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/#\/schema\/person\/7c17362732023b01ed23dc69d6fa703a","name":"Greg Alder","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7ef6613d5043bdbb67157e2bfbbecb138148fad9c893cd424f6f14c5f7ff393e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7ef6613d5043bdbb67157e2bfbbecb138148fad9c893cd424f6f14c5f7ff393e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7ef6613d5043bdbb67157e2bfbbecb138148fad9c893cd424f6f14c5f7ff393e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Greg Alder"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7ef6613d5043bdbb67157e2bfbbecb138148fad9c893cd424f6f14c5f7ff393e?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/gregalder.com"]}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Growing-summer-lettuce-in-Southern-California.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13113"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13113\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18354,"href":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13113\/revisions\/18354"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13127"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}