BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURE: BRINGING RESILIENCE BACK INTO FARMS
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BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURE: BRINGING RESILIENCE BACK INTO FARMS

The Indian Farmer Stereotype
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The Indian Farmer Stereotype

Whose Market Is This?
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Whose Market Is This?

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Why Grow Food In Soil

Soil is the most important element in making our food. Working in the soil is the most meaningful thing mankind could do to nourish and make their body strong.

So let’s simple break it down. Most of our food comes from some form of plants. So what makes it grow?
– Sun light
– Water
– Energies
– Soil

Sunlight is free of cost. Available in abundance. Just need to position your plants to make the best of it. Just respect the seasons and grow crops that can accept the harshness or mellowness during the year.

Water. Mineral rich water provided on a limited basis based on the crop. Just like you feed babies, more intervals in the beginning and then less often as they grow. Some need a nice rainforest environment to thrive and some need just some moisture after they fruit.

Energies. You can’t just plant a seed in soil, attach a machine to water and feed it and walk away and expect it to thrive. They need some TLC (tender love and care) too. Good energies. Your energies. Animal energies. Energies of the overall biodiversity and environment around them. And watch them thrive! No it’s not fufu logic here. It works. Trust me.

And finally Soil.
Not dirt. Not dead. Not nothing.
Means it’s everything 🙂

Soil is not just NPK + copper when needed + silica when needed + magnesium maybe. Only 5% of the microbes that exist in soil have been possibly discovered so far. Nourish the soil with some good compost that consists of – nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus, alkaline elements, and some good beneficial herbs and preps. When animal manure makes the nitrogen element, you are adding a lot more beneficial microbes into the compost. Basically creating an environment to make the compost become a tasty recipe for the plants. It’s not the inputs, but it’s the final result that comes out that smells like earth that’s been freshly rained on.
Can be addictive trust me!
You can also add a lot of beneficial liquid manures or inoculants that improve soil quality. Choose what works best for you.
Improving soil quality is a must in organic farming. It’s not rocket science, just needs some perseverance and consistency.

We are so blessed to be in India with the beautiful variance in soils, lots of plant diversity, biodiversity, innumerable climates to grow and larger variety of crops and a large number of farmers who live in the rural setup. But the system is flawed. Sad but true. Centralization and industrialization along with economics messed up the whole equation. We want everything quick and accessible at our fingertips now. Including our fresh produce. Demand creates supply.
That’s where the urban artificial farms came into play. They are expensive technologies to setup, so they will aggressively market their produce. Only the ones who are privileged can make this setup in an urban environment, not an average farmer. That’s why they treat it a like a business. We know what happens when food and agriculture becomes a hard core business. Enough said on that.

Okay so now let’s go back to the elements that make plants –
*Sunlight – replaced with artificial lighting. It’s like asking me to get vitamin d sitting under a light.
*Water – mind you clean water, or water with fish excretions, which is not bad, but not sure how beneficial that alone can be.
*Energies – ahem! You saw the pictures. You see any biological activity there? You see pollination happening there? You see any happy lady bugs or animals there? Clean people with gloves and sanitization at its optimism. Wohooo! No pests or bacteria! Problem solved! Who wants to deal that?
*Soil – last and important one.
Here’s a description online – Hydroponics is the method and process of growing plants without using any soil. … As long as a plant receives an adequate amount of the required mineral nutrients that it needs in order to grow and thrive, then soil is not needed or necessary for gardening.” Some systems may use a soil mix with compost, peat and some minerals. Some use only fish excretions, and other aquaculture outputs. Some use rock wool in seedling trays.

Whenever nutrients are given in a water form, it’s unnatural to start with, because the plants don’t learn how to absorb nutrients from soil anymore.

Okay now take a person and give them lots of artificial food that requires them to survive. Give them a dose of pure protein, some pure carbs, add some essential multivitamins, all with water. Give them some rock wool blankets and artificial light for their short life span. They will grow and look like humans in a lab to some extent. That’s all they need, and it’s a successful project. Work done!  You know what I mean now? Plants are also living elements, have feelings and have a purpose in life. Cherish them, nurture them, give them an opportunity to make some good for humankind in the way nature intends.

About the marketing terminologies they use for non soil based gardening, let’s try and understand them better –
~ Less adverse environmental impacts – Please! What about the carbon footprint they are creating by pumping in water and electricity into the units that need to run 24/7. And they call themselves eco friendly and organic, maybe because there’s no methane 😂
~ Reduced consumption of resources – What resources are these now? Cause I only see additional byproducts being made to support this industry.
~ Faster plant growth – sure, cause everyone’s in a hurry to buy what you are selling.
~ Higher Yelids – but ofcourse, your mission is to save this world and feed it, not protect Mother Earth.
~ Clean food – That’s grown sanitized with gloves and masks – without the beneficial soil microbes? Well good luck with your gut health and overall immunity

To conclude, this is not complete food with the correct nutrition profile, please get the produce tested if you have the resources and prove us otherwise. I have had clients who tasted such produce and said it doesn’t taste as dense and their stomach didn’t agree. “There’s  something missing” is what I constantly hear, now that’s your gut and human intelligence talking. Go figure!

In Growing Guides

Sweet Potatoes Growing Guide

Originating in tropical South America, sweet potatoes are not really potatoes at all, but a delicious and nutritious member of the morning glory family. The roots of this cold-sensitive vining plant become massive and swollen, full of starch and delicious packed with Vitamin A and C, plus Potassium and Calcium. Plants are heat tolerant as well as fairly drought tolerant and unaffected by insect pests, making them a super reliable crop.

Good Companions: Beans, Beets, Dill, Thyme, Peppers/Chilli,

Bad Companions: Squash

Growing: Sweet potatoes are a long-season crop and are not grown from seed but from live plants.  They are grown from cuttings called slips that can be brought ready to plant, or grown from tubers stored from the previous year. Set cuttings/slips 12-18 inches apart on earthed up ridges or raised beds and mulch well. The mulch will warm the soil and retain moisture during dry spells.

Soil and Cultivation Requirements: They need to grow in a sheltered spot in full sun with plenty of space for their trailing stems. They require well-drained sandy loam soil that is well composted initially when the slips are being established. Weed around them carefully to avoid damaging the tubers forming underground.

Irrigation: Water freshly planted slips regularly until they establish, after which they need very little watering, even in dry spells. Occasional sprinkler irrigation works best. Avoid overwatering, especially on heavy clay soils, or the tubers produced will be thin and tasteless.

Harvesting and Storing: The tubers can be dug and eaten at any time once they are large enough (after 3-4 months depending on the variety. Harvest as soon as vines begin to blacken, as the roots will rot very quickly after leaves turn black. Dig with a spade, then leave the fresh tubers out in the sun to dry for the afternoon. Next you will want to cure the sweet potatoes to ensure good storage quality and reportedly a better taste than uncured roots. (The best way to cure is to place dry roots in a box lined with newspaper in a warm room with humidity around 85 percent. Let roots cure for about 10 days. After curing they can be kept for months in a cool dry storeroom.) They don’t have issues being exposed to light and they wont turn green like potatoes. Handle small batches at a time since they don’t mind staying in the ground for long periods, especially in warm weather.

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Tomatoes Growing Guide

Tomatoes are generally high yielding plants and need to be tied to a stake for supporting the fruits. A very satisfying crop to grow that come in several sizes, colors, and shapes. From beef-stakes to cherry tomatoes, different varieties are used for sundried tomatoes, sauces, pastes, slicing, and salads.

Determinate Tomatoes: The common market growing, high yielding varieties. They produce heavily all at once and then the plants die quickly.

Indeterminate Tomatoes: Most heirloom tomato varieties are indeterminate. They start slow, yield less and produce for a longer period of time.

Sowing Style: Sow in the nursery trays and Transplant at true leaf stage.

Time to Sow: Tomatoes do well in warm weather only. Sow in monsoon and transplant after heavy rain period has concluded, early Autumn so they grow through warm winter days, and late winter so that you have fruit all through summer. Sowing them at the beginning of winter might slow down germination and overall growth rates during the cold nights. A greenhouse or cold frame can resolve the issue to some extent.

Plant Spacing: 12-36in with 1.5-3.0ft spacing between rows. Refer to your seed packet or the product page for specific spacing requirements.

Good Companions: Basil, Carrots, Onions, Garlic, Chives, Parsley, Marigold, Nasturtiums, Stinging Nettle, Asparagus

Bad Companions: Brassica Family (Cauliflower, Cabbage, Broccoli, Kohlrabi, Mustards), Corn, Potatoes, Zucchini, Dill, Fennel, Tobacco.

Soil and Cultivation Requirements: Unlike most vegetables, tomatoes like growing in the same place year after year, unless you have issues with disease, in which case you need to plant in a new area. Tomatoes are heavy feeders, and need compost at regular intervals during the growing period, so be generous with how much compost you give them. Too much foliage delays the ripening of fruit, therefore some pruning is required when they are growing. Keep the main stems and selectively pinch some of the side shoots out of the axils. Make sure the plant is getting enough light. So make good use of your balcony grill or chain link fence as a good trellis.

Irrigation: Tomatoes need daily watering until they start flowering. From that point onwards you can cut down the watering to once in 2-3 days or just giving very less water every day. Too much water will cause the fruit to swell and drop. Tomatoes do not like pouring rains and storms, so stall watering plans in such circumstances. Never water tomatoes from the top. The young flowers will drop or will rot and not form fruit. Best way to irrigate it to give water to the roots directly and Drip irrigation is the best method for larger plots.

Harvesting and Storing: Twist each colored fruit off to eat fresh, cook, or preserve. Harvest them green for chutneys or as a vegetable. They store well and longer in cool temperatures. Do not store tomatoes in the refrigerator

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Peppers & Chili Growing Guide

Peppers are native to South and Central America. Once Christopher Columbus got his hands on them, they were quickly spread throughout Europe and beyond. They are subtropical, so perform best in warmest climates. Sweet and Bell Peppers are usually rounder and larger than Chilli Peppers. In their native South America they are perennials, but we grow them like tomatoes, as annuals. All belong to the capsicum family, and they come in so many shapes and colors, that we can get lost keeping track.

CHILI/HOT PEPPER- Common Varieties: Asian Small Chilli, Birds Eye, Jalapeno, Habanero, Cayenne, Pimento, etc.

SWEET PEPPERS Common Varieties: Bell Peppers, Round Peppers, Italian Long Peppers, etc.

Sowing Style: Sow in the nursery trays and Transplant at true leaf stage. You can sow them outdoors on a soft seedbed before transplanting (avoid doing this if the nights are cold, you have pets who can destroy the seedbed, or if you cannot water the bed frequently).

Time to Sow: Peppers do well in warm weather, just like tomatoes. Sow in monsoon and transplant after heavy rain period has concluded, early Autumn so they grow through warm winter days, and late winter so that you have fruit all through summer. Pepper seeds can be a bit challenging to germinate and lose their viability quickly if not kept in cool conditions. Sowing them at the beginning of winter might slow down germination and overall growth rates during the cold nights. A greenhouse or cold frame can resolve the issue to some extent. Transplant them deep in warm soil.

Plant Spacing:  12-18in with 1.5-3.0ft spacing between rows. Refer to your seed packet or the product page for specific spacing requirements.

Good Companions: Basil, Carrots, Cucumber, Eggplant, Marigold, Mint, Okra, Onions, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Squash, Sweet Potato, Swiss Chard

Bad Companions: Beans, Brassica Family (Cauliflower, Cabbage, Broccoli, Kohlrabi, Mustards), Dill, Fennel, Zucchini

Soil and Cultivation Requirements: Peppers love heat and sunshine; cold regions should consider black plastic mulch to warm the soil. They prefer light well-drained soil and mature compost during planting. Too much nitrogen rich compost needs to be avoided because that can lead to more leaf growth than fruit. Do not mulch at the root of the plants, since the topsoil needs to stay dry. Keep an eye out for fungal diseases at the root level.

Irrigation: They need daily watering from seedling to flowering stage. From that point onwards you can cut down the watering to once in 3-5 days or just giving very less water every day. Never water pepper plants from the top. Best way to irrigate it to give water to the roots directly and drip irrigation is the best method for larger plots. Too much water will cause the fruit to rot and drop. They do not like pouring rains and storms, so stall watering plans in such circumstances.

Harvesting and Storing: Peppers ripen to green and then to hues such as red, yellow or orange, depending on the variety. Cut the fruits with an inch of stem so they last longer, don’t tug or pull the fruits off the plant. Picking off the first fruit when green encourages others to be produced. They store well and longer in cool temperatures.

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Eggplant Growing Guide

The eggplant also knows as Brinjal, is believed to have originated in Sri Lanka and India. Eggplants come in many shapes, sizes, and colors such as purple, black, green and white. They are not high in nutrition, but they make up for this with their unique flavor. Eggplants need plenty of heat, light, and humidity over their long growing season to mature. In warm regions, it grows as a perennial bush over a long period of time. So find a semi-permanent spot for them.

Sowing Style: Sow in the nursery trays and Transplant at true leaf stage.

You can sow them outdoors on a soft seedbed before transplanting (avoid doing this if the nights are cold, you have pets who can destroy the seedbed, or if you cannot water the bed frequently).

Time to Sow: Eggplants do well in warm weather, just like tomatoes and peppers. Sow in monsoon and transplant after heavy rain period has concluded, early Autumn so they grow through warm winter days, and late winter so that you have fruit all through summer. Eggplant cannot tolerant cool temperatures, especially when germinating.

Plant Spacing:  24-26in. Refer to your seed packet or the product page for specific spacing requirements.

Good Companions: Amaranth, Beans, Peas, Okra, Oregano, Thyme, Peppers/Chilli, Potato, Spinach.

Bad Companions: Cabbage, Fennel

Soil and Cultivation Requirements: They grow best in very fertile, mature composted soil that holds both heat and water. But does not thrive in wet weather. The plants are quite hardy and low maintenance overall. Compost every few months for continuous harvests. You can get refreshed growth into a new season by pruning them down and composting them well again with good moisture. Keep well watered but not soaked, and mulch around plants to suppress weeds and retain moisture.

Irrigation: Do not overwater eggplants. Best way to irrigate it to give water to the roots directly and drip irrigation is the best method for larger plots. They need daily watering from seedling to flowering stage. From that point onwards you can cut down the watering to once in 3-5 days or just giving very less water every day. Never water plants from the top. Too much water will cause the fruit to rot and drop. They do not like pouring rains and storms, so stall watering plans in such circumstances.

Harvesting and Storing: Fruits are ready for harvest when just slightly soft and their skin is shiny and firm. Immature fruits will feel rock hard. If they mature too much, the skin color starts to dull or turn yellow, they lose all their tenderness and turn tough and bitter. Cut the fruits when they are ripe and tender before they are fully-grown, don’t tug or pull the fruits off the plant. The stems can be thick and prickly, so wear gloves and use gardening scissors. Continually harvest to keep the plants productive.

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Corn Growing Guide

Corn is believed to have been first domesticated in Mexico, and played a major role in Ancient Native American society. It is a member of the grass family, just like most cereals. Countless varieties of heirloom corn exist; many more have been lost over the years with genetically modified corn taking over the market.

There are three broad classifications of corn, based on their common usage:

Maize/Cereal Corn: Grown for flour or as a fodder crop. Comes in many colors. Harvested dry as a grain.

Sweet Corn: Grown to eat fresh and known for its sweetness.

Popcorn: Smaller cobs, and used to make popcorn. Comes in many colors and variations.

Sowing Style: Direct Sow. Do not transplant corn; the delicate roots cannot handle it. Broadcast or line sow in a furrow and thin as required.

Time to Sow: Can be sown in Monsoon, Early Autumn (warmer regions), and Summer. Corn cannot tolerate cold weather.

Plant Spacing: 1-2ft apart. You can plant in blocks as opposed to rows for better pollination. Each plant needs 1 square foot of space.

Good Companions: Sunflower, Beans, Cucumber, Potatoes, Peas, Pumpkin, Melons, Squash, Radish, Potato, Parsley, Lemon Balm, Dill, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage

Bad Companions: Tomato, Celery, Swiss Chard

Soil and Cultivation Requirements: Corn is a heavy feeder; plants need a rich humus soil, which is moisture retentive and has plenty of organic matter. Add well-rotted compost to the corn bed and furrows before planting. Because corn matures all at once, succession plant every other week for 6 weeks to ensure a steady supply. Fertilize with compost just before planting and again 6 weeks later. Keep the newly sown rows weed free, but take care not to disturb the shallow roots. Earth up the soil around the stem bases as they grow in order to protect them from rocking in the wind and heavy rains. Mulch plants to retain moisture and suppress weeds. Corn is wind pollinated and will easily cross with other varieties (including GMO corn).  Keep the crop safe from birds and rats. Dogs love corn too!

Irrigation: Water sweet corn well, especially while it is establishing and in summer. Generally corn can do well under drip or sprinkler irrigation. Plan the irrigation based on what companions you are planting them with. Maize and fodder corn is grown as a rain-fed crop in most parts of India, mostly sow during early monsoons, and harvested after the heavy rains stop.

Harvesting and Storing: Maize corn or Popcorn is ready when the husks have dried and turned brown; the kernels should be hard. Sweet corn is approaching maturity when silks have dried and turned brown. To judge ripeness, open husk and pop a kernel, the juice should be milky. If the juice is clear, it’s not ready. The sugar content in corn begins to decrease after harvest, so the fresher the corn, the better the flavor. Steady each stalk with one hand, then pull and slightly twist off the cob. Peel back the cobs papery outer sheath to reveal the kernels inside. If the kernels are unbalanced or the cob has too many gaps, there has been a problem in overall germination. The plant must have grown in an isolated manner or didn’t get enough wind to pollinate.

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Beans Growing Guide

A staple crop grown across the world for thousands of years, beans are high in protein and inexpensive to produce. Ancient Native Americans grew beans along with corn and squash in their famous 3 sisters gardens. They prefer growing in warmer weather and soils. Beans are legumes and a beneficial crop to grow because they return nitrogen back to the soil, and don’t demand much nutrition. Grown with good companion cropping patterns, they benefit other crops.

There are two broad classifications of beans, based on their growing patterns:

Pole Beans: They need trellis support to grow, but easy to harvest. Rajma, winged beans, long cowpea, asparagus bean, etc fall into this category. Most beans have foliage that can be supported by a simple wooden trellis. However, varieties with heavy foliage such as the Indian Broad Bean (la-lab/hyacinth) need a bulkier support structure to hold its foliage. Long beans are the best choice for hot climates; they can handle extreme heat. Bush Beans: Versatile and easy to grow, and they don’t need any support. They come is several colors and sizes as well. Soy beans, and other pulses such as moong, cowpea, masoor, etc. also grow in bushes.

Sowing Style: Direct sow outdoors on raised beds or flat areas (bush beans) or next to the trellis (pole beans). Beans are very easy to germinate.  Keep in mind that they must have warm weather in order to germinate; cool weather will cause beans to rot in the soil.

Time to Sow: Sow during monsoons so they get a continuous supply of water during the growth phase. Some pole beans grow well when established in Autumn and long beans do well in hot weather. For a summer crop sow them at the tail end of winter when the earth starts warming up.

Plant Spacing: Bush Beans: 6in-1ft (rows 18in apart), Pole Beans: 1ft-2ft apart along the trellis.

Good Companions: Corn, Peas, Carrots, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Marigold, Potatoes, Radish, Sweet Potatoes, Swiss Chard

Bad Companions: Onion, Garlic, Chives, Shallots, Leeks, Beets, Peppers/Chilli, Broccoli

Soil and Cultivation Requirements: Green Beans need full sun, warmth, shelter from wind, and light but fertile soil. Keep the bed well weeded and soil loose.

Irrigation: They need regular watering until they start drying out. Beans can do well under drip or sprinkler irrigation. Use drip irrigation to keep leaves dry and disease free. Plan the irrigation based on what companions you are planting the beans with, how the trellis is placed and how often they need water.

Harvesting and Storing: Continually harvest fresh eating beans that have tender pods to keep plants productive. Snap them off cleanly without pulling or tugging at the plant. Green Beans can be stored green in salt. Beans can be harvested when immature and used like green beans or left on the vine to dry to be used as dry beans such as Rajma, Moong, etc. To dry beans, you just let them ripen, hang the vines upside down in a shed or sundry them, and thresh them before you store them. Long beans should be harvested when beans reach 12-18 inches long. Soy beans are grown just like green beans and can be harvested when pods reach 2-3 inches long or have completely dried. Dried soybeans mature all at once.

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Calendula Growing Guide

All flowers have the uncanny ability to attract pollinators and beneficial insects to the garden and to put a smile on our faces, which is certainly worth a lot! Calendula is a profuse golden-yellow to deep-orange blossoms flower that can be picked over a period of 3-6 months. It has anti-inflammatory effects when it is used topically and it is also a potent antioxidant. Because of its antiviral and antibacterial qualities, it is also useful in treating minor wounds and abrasions. Also deters flies and mosquitos.

Sowing Style: Direct Sow.  Broadcast or line sow as a hedge. Thin as required. You can also choose to transplant if you have less seeds.

Time to Sow: Monsoon, Autumn and Summer. Except for the cold months, the plants thrive in the sun.

Plant Spacing: 6-12”

Good Companions: Calendula is effective at deterring tomato hornworms, Mexican bean beetles, aphids, cabbage maggots and the asparagus beetle. Interplanting with pest-susceptible plants is the easiest way to deter unwanted critters.

Bad Companions: N/A

Soil and Cultivation Requirements: Not a high-nutrition demanding crop. Pretty low maintenance once established. Give a round of compost during sowing and after a month of harvesting.

Irrigation: Both drip and sprinkler irrigation works well for calendula. Water them regularly on hot days.

Harvesting and Storing: Harvest every 3-5 days as soon as the plants start flowering.  Fresh flowers can be seeped in oil and placed under the sun or moon for a few days to extract their medicinal properties, and then sieve them out. For dried calendula, harvest them when they are young with a lot of fresh petals and shade-dry them to preserve their medicinal value. No need to crush the flowers. Store them in an air-tight jar or packet. (Check for bugs in the flowers before seeping or drying them)

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Marigold Growing Guide

Orange compact flowers. A great pollinator and beneficial insect attractor. A must grow companion flower variety for your garden, because its known to fight root nematodes and other diseases in the soil – even when the flowers are not in bloom. If growing only for flowers, sow them 3 months before you would like start harvesting flowers.

Sowing Style: Transplant from seed trays at true leaf stage. Plant them in a row or spread them all around the garden – they can reach 2-3 feet height.

Time to Sow: Monsoon, Autumn and Summer. Easy to grow all around the year except in freezing conditions, and it requires 6-8 hours of sunlight. Sow them 3-4 months before your festivals or special occasions so that you can make best use of their harvests.

Plant Spacing: 12-18”

Good Companions: Beans, Borage, Broccoli, Cucumber, Eggplant, Gourds, Pumpkin & Squash, Potato, Tomato, Peppers, Watermelon, Apple Trees, Ginger, Turmeric.

Bad Companions: Cabbage

Soil and Cultivation Requirements: Low maintenance crop. Mostly self-seeds. Does not need too much water or rich soil to grow.

 Irrigation: Both drip and sprinkler irrigation works well. Does not need regular watering. Will do well with the other intercropped plants.

Harvesting and Storing: Harvest every few days as fresh flowers as soon as the plants start flowering. They can produce for 3-4 weeks. To make a liquid manure and pest repellant, collect a decent batch of fresh flowers and seep them in water for up to a month. Mix 1:10 with fresh water and spray near plants that have insect and root nematode issues.

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Lettuce Growing Guide

A very easy crop to grow that doesn’t demand too much soil nutrition, and needs basic watering. The right time to grow it is what is most important here. Lettuce either forms dense hearts that are cut whole, or open heads that are picked as loose leaves. Some have smooth leaves, others uneven edges, but all are grown in the same way. Very quick to grow, and can be harvested as individual leaves, cut-and-come again style, or as large crunchy or soft heads. Loose-leaf lettuces grow faster and have greater resistance to heat.

There are two broad types of lettuce varieties:
1. Head Lettuce (Iceberg, Romaine, Butterheads, etc.)
2. Leaf Lettuce (Loose leaf in many colors, shapes and textures)

Sowing Style: Transplanting is best for head lettuces. Loose-Leaf lettuce and mixes can be directly sown, but cover the area where you sowed the seeds with a light cloth or green net for a few days so they don’t dry out before germination. Gently water from above the covering for a few days. Take out the covering as soon as you see little seedling popping out.

Time to Sow: Late Monsoon when the flooding stage passes, Autumn is the best and most pleasant time, and early Winter. If the temperature crosses 35 degrees C during the day, there are high chances the lettuce will turn bitter and start bolting upwards.

Plant Spacing: Varies by variety. Refer to your seed packet or the product page for the spacing requirements. Lettuce has shallow roots and needs to be transplanted very carefully.

Good Companions: Cucumber, Carrot, Beet, Radish, Onions

Bad Companions: None

Soil and Cultivation Requirements:
Lettuce needs to grow quickly to be at its best, and will bolt if it lacks good soil or water. It needs a sunny or partially shaded site with good humus in the soil. Dark-leaf type lettuces are meant for cooler weather growing and will scorch in full sun, so give them a little shade. Use good compost during sowing, transplanting, and once between transplanting and harvest for good results.

Irrigation: Heading lettuces prefer drip irrigation because if moisture starts sitting in the folds of the leaves and does not dry out properly, it can cause rotting. Loose-leaf lettuces and mixes enjoy growing under sprinklers.

Harvesting and Storing:
Lettuce with heads/hearts are cut off at the base to avoid disturbing nearby plants, although single leaves can also be picked if that is preferred. If cut at the base, the heads/hearts tend to come again with continued irrigation, but will be of lower quality and taste. Loose-leaf lettuces can be harvested multiple times by cutting out the grown leaves at regular intervals. Lettuce cannot be stored for long after harvest, they start to wilt. If you harvest during a hot day, make sure you dip them in cool water and dry them in a cool shaded place before consuming, refrigerating, or shipping it locally.