The Lettuce Bed

I have a ten foot bed in my garden devoted to growing my fresh garden salad greens.  Because I only need to grow enough for myself I certainly don't need the whole bed planted in lettuce all at the same time.  Lettuce is a fast growing crop and it doesn't generally like the high heat of the summers here and tends to bolt when the temperatures get too hot.  To spread out my harvests I only plant one row at a time with a variety of different lettuces.  I also planted radishes among the lettuce because they are a fast growing crop that I could add to my salads as they became ready.

Once the first row of lettuce sprouted and became a little established I planted a second row in the same fashion.  The first row is now becoming harvestable just as the second row is germinating.  I expect the first row will be starting to bolt around the same time the second row is getting ready for harvest.  I will plant in the last row in a couple more weeks once the second row becomes more established.  This pattern will continue until all the spaces in the bed are filled with lettuce at various stages of maturity.  I am hoping that this keeps me in fresh salad all summer long, and possibly into winter if I protect this bed with a hoop house.