Lettuce is one of the easiest and most rewarding vegetables to grow. Unlike most veggies, you start harvesting as soon as you bring your plants home. Lettuce grows well in both sun and shade, and because lettuce tolerates cool weather, it can keep producing well into fall. It's possible to grow lettuce in our climate from March through November, but it can be difficult to get these plants through the hottest weeks of summer.

Lettuce is a short-lived plant, and hot late-summer temperatures can make it bolt, or send up a flower stalk. Once that happens, the leaves become smaller and the flavor isn't as good. The younger the plant, the more tender and tasty the leaves tend to be.

Don't let the summer heat stop you from growing lettuce. As temperatures cool, lettuce becomes much less likely to bolt, so plants bought now can often be harvested through September and October. Keep them growing in a spot with sun or some shade, and harvest the leaves while the plant is young and productive.

For a steady supply of fresh lettuce, plant a new one every few weeks. That way, when one plant reaches the end of its life, another is ready to take its place. This succession planting means you can keep harvesting young, tender leaves instead of waiting for one plant to produce forever.

If an older plant does bolt, you don't necessarily have to pull it out. Let it flower and collect the seeds, or simply allow it to reseed itself. Lettuce is remarkably good at popping up in unexpected places, sometimes even between pavers.

If you haven't planted lettuce yet, late summer is a great time to start. Once the hottest weather passes, your plants can settle in and keep producing through the cooler months. With a little succession planting and regular harvesting, you can enjoy fresh lettuce long after the peak of summer has passed.

Happy gardening!