Q&A: Lettuce

These half-dozen lettuces, all sown from seed, grew to this height in less than two months. From the tender leaves to the succulent stalks, bok choy offers a lot of tasty possibilities. It's most often used in stir-fry dishes, but Paul James likes it best braised in a homemade chicken stock.

A: A lot! Actually, I looked at three catalogs and found 47 different lettuces, and that's only a fraction of what's available. There's crisp head lettuce, Romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce, butter lettuce, Batavian lettuce...well, you get the picture.

Lettuce is a cool-season crop, which means it grows best in spring and fall. Of the two, I prefer the fall crop because it tends to be a good deal crunchier and sweeter. Lettuce prefers a steady supply of moisture and nutrient-rich soil that drains well. It's easy to grow and is bothered by few pests or diseases.

--Master gardener Paul James