Should I harvest my lettuce?

[Michelle MCNEILL]

I have a large garden box mixed with cabbage and lettuce, and it's getting 80 degrees and above. Since lettuce is a cool weather plant, should I go ahead and fully harvest them all and plant something else, or wait it out to see how they stand the heat? I've been picking leaves as we've needed them. I'd like to try to make this last as long as I can as we've also been giving it away through the neighborhood.
If I harvest, what could I put in it's lace this late in the season?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I use stuff like that until its quality gets so bad I don't want to. Different things can happen lettuce the heat, it may just die, it may bolt to seed, or it may start tasting bitter. While quality may drop a little, it's often better than anything you can get at the store, but at some point enough is enough. Each of us have their own standards so use your judgment.

Not sure what kind of cabbage you have. I only grow head cabbage and use it for sauerkraut or freeze it when the weather gets warm.

 

[Michelle MCNEILL]

Is there a normal time when people pull them? Its only going to get hotter here and probably won't drop until October.

 

[Carol Dee]

Is there a normal time when people pull them? Its only going to get hotter here and probably won't drop until October.

What will grow for you in the Alabama heat? Lettuce won't do well for much longer I suspect. So I vote to use it up and move on.

 

[ducks4you]

Yep. Replant lettuce in shady areas. Here are some that will grow in the heat and taste ok.
"Green Star, Magenta, Bronze Arrow Lose Leaf, Red Salad Bowl Oakleaf and Oakleaf Looseleaf Lettuce are all heat tolerant varieties that do well in late summer. Romaine lettuce is sometimes tricky to grow in the heat, although it is relatively heat tolerant."

 

[so lucky]

So, what else would you eat that grows in hot weather? Do you have enough tomatoes and peppers? Eggplant? Sweet potatoes? Bush beans? Turnips? Is your planter box deep enough to grow root vegetables?
If nothing else, stick some flower starts in there. You can never have too many flowers. Marigolds might be good companion plants for your cabbages as they grow.

 

[Michelle MCNEILL]

So, what else would you eat that grows in hot weather? Do you have enough tomatoes and peppers? Eggplant? Sweet potatoes? Bush beans? Turnips? Is your planter box deep enough to grow root vegetables?
If nothing else, stick some flower starts in there. You can never have too many flowers. Marigolds might be good companion plants for your cabbages as they grow.

I do have tons of tomatoes and peppers, couple eggplant. Isn't marigold edible? I think I read somewhere that it helps stomach issues. I have some Asian green beans but my grandmother has a bag of Lima and pinto beans I could try my hand at? This planter isn't tall enough for root stuff, my tomatoes are using that one lol.

 

[Michelle MCNEILL]

Yep. Replant lettuce in shady areas. Here are some that will grow in the heat and taste ok.
"Green Star, Magenta, Bronze Arrow Lose Leaf, Red Salad Bowl Oakleaf and Oakleaf Looseleaf Lettuce are all heat tolerant varieties that do well in late summer. Romaine lettuce is sometimes tricky to grow in the heat, although it is relatively heat tolerant."

Could I pull these and plant them in shade? Or is it too late for that, and I should start with seeds? Will lettuce do well in full shade as a container plant?

 

[ducks4you]

@Michelle MCNEILL
Absolutely, you can pull and transplant! Lettuce is shallow rooted, BUT, be sure to use a hand shovel (trowel) and always dig deep enough to not disturb the roots. You could also pick up a couple of those cheapo big planters, transplant them to those and put them around the north side of your house, where it's always shady. Easier to harvest from, too. Throw some new lettuce and spinach seeds in the planters and you might be harvesting all summer.