Why limit your lettuce growing to a twenty foot row of "Grand Rapids?" There are many, many varieties of lettuce available these days, with an array of colors, shapes, and textures. I enjoy sprinkling a few seeds over only two feet of row from each packet, enough for ten different varieties in that twenty foot row! Make several plantings per season, and you can have a bounty of fresh lettuce throughout the season.

Here are some of the different types of lettuce:

• Leaf-Very easy to grow. There are green, red, and speckled varieties, and also the "Lolla Rosa" types that are very frilly and beautiful in the salad. In another subclass of leaf lettuce are the "Oakleafs," which are larger plants and less frilled than the "Lolla Rosas."
• Batavian-These are European varieties that have thicker, crisper leaves than typical leaf types. "Sierra," "Nevada," and "Centennial" are high-quality, bolt-resistant varieties in this class. These are the easiest lettuces to grow well in mid-summer.
• Butterhead-Also common in Europe, these are some of the most beautiful and delicious lettuces to grow. "Buttercrunch" was developed at Cornell many years ago and is still a favorite. "Ermosa" and "Nancy" make beautiful large heads. Try "Carmona" or "Mikola" for bronze-tinged leaves.
• Romaine-Tall, upright plants. These are a bit later to mature than all but the crispheads, and can be quite sweet if well grown. They also come in green, red, and mixed colors. Check out "Freckles."
• Crisphead or Iceberg-The standard California round-head shipping type. There are red ones, miniatures, and the unusual heat-tolerant "Anuenue," which may be the easiest to grow.
• In-betweens-These include some great ones. "Winter density" is a romaine-butterhead blend, while "Green Ice" is a great, heat-resistant leaf/iceberg mix.

Some hints for growing great lettuce:

• Keep the plants well-watered, but well-drained. If your soil has drainage problems, put them on ridges or raised beds.
• To grow beautiful heads, thin the plants to 6" shortly after they emerge, then a full foot when these touch. Eat these thinnings for a tender treat.
• Some growers harvest all their lettuce at the tender "adolescent" stage. This also avoids bottom rot problems that occur more with full-sized heads.
• Make succession plantings, every 10-14 days if you can.
• Lettuce needs moderately rich soil with plenty of decomposed organic matter for best flavor.
• For great salads, also grow other greens like arugula (protect from flea beetles with row cover), mustards (harvest when small and tender), mizuna, spinach, and maybe even some chicory, sorrel, bok choy, or chinese cabbage (best in the fall). These all have outstanding nutrition as well as flavor.

Companies listing many lettuce varieties include:

Fedco Seeds
PO Box 520
Waterville, ME 04903

Cook's Garden
PO Box 535
Londonderry, VT 05148

Johnny's Selected Seeds
1 Foss Hill Rd.
RR1, Box 2580
Albion, ME 04910

Burpees
800-888-1447

Pinetree Seeds
Box 300
New Gloucester, ME 04260

Harris Seeds
800-514-4441