Lettuce

Lettuce Production

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Lettuce is a cool-season leafy vegetable that is grown year-round in California. This crop has highly specific temperature requirements and grows best in well-draining, disease-free soils with sufficient irrigation. 

Lettuce production in California is usually categorized as either leaf lettuce (leaf, romaine, butterhead) or head (iceberg) lettuce. Romaine is a subcategory of leaf lettuces but is also the dominant lettuce type grown in California. Lettuce types vary in color, leaf shape, texture, and climate requirements. Some commonly grown varieties (in no particular order) are Big Star (green-leaf), Red Fox (red-leaf), Margarita (butterhead), Rio Bravo (romaine), and Bubba (iceberg). 

In California, the following are major production areas for leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa): Central Coast (Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, and San Luis Obispo Counties), the southern coast (Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties), the Central Valley (Fresno, Kings, and Kern Counties), and the southern deserts (Imperial and Riverside Counties). Production is highest in Monterey County.

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Different Resources about Lettuce Production

• Lettuce Production in California (both Leaf and Iceberg)

• Leaf Lettuce Production in California

• Iceberg Lettuce Production in California

• Lettuce Fertilization Guidelines

• Lettuce Nitrogen Uptake and Partitioning

• Lettuce Pest Management Guidelines

• Sample Costs to Produce and Harvest Iceberg Lettuce

• Sample Costs to Produce and Harvest Romaine Hearts Lettuce

• Postharvest Handling Systems: Flower, leafy and stem vegetables

• Lettuce, Romaine - Recommendations for Maintaining Postharvest Quality

• Postharvest Requirements of Lettuce to Control Physiological Disorders

• Lettuce Nutritional Information (USDA)
  

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