CAPITAL LETTUCE

MORE THAN JUST THE SALAD KING, VERSATILE LETTUCE IS SO EASY TO GROW THERE’S NO NEED TO EVER HAVE TO BUY IT AGAIN

- Chloe Thomson

Lettuce label

Common name: Lettuce

Botanical name: Lactuca sativa

Family: Asteraceae (daisy family)

Aspect & soil: Sunny position; rich, well-drained soil

Best climate: All

Habit: Annual

Propagation: Seed, seedling

Difficulty: Easy

It’s a must-have for many salads and a favourite green for sandwiches. But these days the world of lettuce extends far beyond just cos and iceberg. Lettuce can be grown as an annual crop, year round, all around Australia. And with sensible succession planting you need never buy another bag of slimy mixed leaves or a limp head of cos from the supermarket.