Grow Lettuce in a Gutter

I love this article on how to grow lettuce in a gutter, really great for small gutters: Read More....   

Home vegetable gardening saves money versus purchasing produce from a grocery store or farmers market, but you can end up spending more money than you save if you purchase all-new gardening equipment. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa), a cool-season crop hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9, is frequently grown in shallow containers. You can cut much of the start-up cost associated with lettuce production if you repurpose old rain gutters as planters for growing lettuce. This gardening practice also helps the environment and takes advantage of vertical garden space.

 

 

1

Cut a section of gutter 4 to 6- feet long, using tin snips for metal gutters and a PVC handsaw for plastic gutters. Cut the gutters into even shorter sections that can be moved easily around the landscape, if desired.

2

Measure and mark for plant spacing from either end of the gutter with a tape measure and pencil. Space leaf lettuce every 4 inches, loose-headed varieties every 8 inches and firm-headed varieties 16 inches apart.

3

Slide metal end caps onto the gutter and crimp the edges of the end cap to the gutter with pliers. Apply a 3/8-inch bead of silicone caulk to the inside end-cap seam. Attach PVC end caps to the PVC guttering. Apply PVC glue to the end cap and gutter and press the end cap firmly in place. Allow the silicone caulk or PVC glue to dry overnight before filling the gutter with potting medium.

4

Lay the gutter with the open end face down on a flat working surface. Measure and mark every 6 inches on the bottom of the gutter. Drill 3/8-inch drainage holes into the bottom of the gutter at each mark using a 3/8-inch drill bit and power drill.

5

Cut a piece of wire mesh screen to fit the bottom of rain gutter. Line the gutter with the screen to prevent soil from escaping through the drainage holes.

6

Place the gutter in an area that receives full sun to partial shade or at least six hours of direct or filtered sunlight daily. Place the gutter on landscape pavers or bricks to elevate the gutter, preventing the drainage holes from clogging. Mount the gutter on fences, walls and deck rails to take advantage of vertical gardening space, using L-brackets, long zip ties or chains. Vertical mounting makes planting, maintaining and harvesting lettuce less strenuous on your back and knees.

7

Fill the gutter with fertile, well-drained potting medium to within 1/2 inch of the top edge.

8

Scatter several lettuce seeds across the soil at a density of approximately one seed per inch of growing space. Press the seeds about 1/4 inch deep into the soil with your finger or the eraser end of a pencil. Cover the seeds with a light layer of soil -- lettuce seeds require sunlight to germinate. Thin out the plants as needed if they become crowded in the gutter after seeds germinate.

9

Water the soil and seeds with a gentle mist until evenly moist but not wet. High-pressure water washes the seeds away. Water lettuce plants deeply once or twice weekly, increasing watering during hot or dry periods to retain soil moisture. Do not allow the soil to dry out because lettuce plants require a moderate supply of water for proper growth.

10

Spread a layer of compost or clean straw around the lettuce plants over the soil to retain soil moisture and temperature. Wait until the plants are at least a couple inches tall so the materials don't block out sunlight to the seeds and the seeds don't have to push their way through the extra layer.

11

Fertilize the lettuce with a nitrogen-rich, water-soluble fertilizer, such as 10-5-5, added to the regular water supply three weeks after planting and repeat applications every two to four weeks. Lettuce requires a steady supply of nitrogen for best foliar growth. As a general rule, mix the fertilizer at a rate of 1 tablespoon of fertilizer to 1 gallon of water. Do not apply the entire gallon of fertilizer at once; apply only enough fertilizer to moisten the soil, just as you would when watering the lettuce.

12

Place a paper collar around young lettuce seedlings to prevent pests, such as caterpillars, from damaging the young plants. Spread a thin layer of wood ash over the soil around young seedlings to prevent slugs from damaging young plants.

13

Break off the plant leaves by hand or cut the leaves with scissors at the base of the plant about 1 to 2 inches above soil level to harvest the lettuce. Harvest the outer leaves of the lettuce plant as you need them. This method will keep the plants producing longer during the growing season. Cut through the stalk of head lettuce just beneath the head. Harvest lettuce in the early morning when the plants leaves are full of moisture. Lettuce is best harvested before the plant blooms and produces seed; lettuce that has matured produces a bitter taste. Pull mature plants from the soil and discard the plants onto a compost pile. Plant new lettuce seeds or transplants grown indoors for an abundant harvest throughout the growing season.