Cos lettuce is more popular year after year in the kitchen garden around the country. The crisp texture and sweet flavour make well worth a try to grow this type of leaf veg.
Early crops can be achieved under glass with mid January until the end of February sowings of lettuces. Sow the lettuce seeds into half an inch deep drills. Prick out the seedling when large enough to handle and grow them on in small pots, and when all risk of frost has passed they can go outside to their final position. If you don’t have the space inside, then you can sow them a little later in an unheated greenhouse or directly outside from mid March to June. Thin out as the seedlings emerge and you can eat these thinnings too, leave 6-10in between the plants. Little gem requires smaller space as it is a really compact type cos lettuce with a very sweet flavour.
Start cutting the crops as the hearts begin to form and by the time you harvest the last plants the hearts will be fully developed. This way you will enjoy long cropping with only one sowing and the when the hearts are fully mature the plants don’t keep very well, especially in dry conditions and many gardener ends up wasting the delicious lettuces. If you want an all season supply then it is a good idea to sow an other lot when you just start to cut the crop.
