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drawback of butterhead varieties of lettuce is that they are fast to bolt, but they rarely develop a bitter taste. Buttercrunch, Deer Tongue and Merveille des Quatres Saisons are among the best butterhead varieties.

Loose leaf varieties of lettuce are the most well known in the United States and are the easiest to grow. They form no head and are characterized by loose leaves that grow around a core. One of the best features of this group of lettuces is that the leaves can be picked as needed without disturbing the remainder of the plant. As a group, leaf lettuces are quick to bolt so they must be grown in the cooler weather and harvested before they start to bolt and turn bitter. Some of the most desirable varieties of leaf lettuces include Black Seeded Simpson, Salad Bowl, Grand Rapids and Royal Oak Leaf. The leaves on salad bowl wilt very quickly because they are naturally soft, so this variety must be eaten immediately after harvest.

Cos is a synonym for Romaine lettuce. The name Cos was given to this variety of lettuce because it is said to have originated on the island of Cos in the Mediterranean. Little Gem is a small variety of Cos that has some elements of Buttercrunch in it. It is characterized by its fast growing nature and sweet flavor. The standard and most well known variety of Cos is Paris White. It grows into a tall cylindrical head with lighter green leaves that naturally fold over a creamy white heart. Rouge d'hivers is a wonderful heirloom European variety of Cos that has reddish outer leaves over a solid heart. Romaine varieties are the classic lettuce of Caesar salads. With the exception of little gem, other varieties of Romaine or Cos lettuce are much slower to mature. They are best suited to growing in cooler weather. In the spring, they should be directly sowed as soon after the danger of frost has elapsed as possible.

Lettuce requires sun to turn the leaves green. Most varieties require a minimum of four hours. Other than that, it will thrive well without fertilizer as long as it is watered regularly. The rewards of growing lettuce will be reaped the moment you take your first bite of a salad made from home grown ingredients.

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