Lettuce and spinach are two of the most popular leafy greens that are sold in the supermarket with both commonly being used in green salads. However, given that they are both similar in appearance you may be wondering whether spinach is just another type of lettuce or something completely different.
Spinach and lettuce are distinctly different plants that come from separate plant families. All the lettuces that are commonly offered in the supermarket are actually all members of the daisy family and have common-looking seeds. Whereas spinach is more closely related to the beet family which includes things like beetroot, swiss chard, and sugar beets.
Spinach is a short-lived annual plant that is typically grown in the cooler months of the year as it is highly tolerant of frosty conditions but will bolt easily.if the weather conditions start to warm up a little. As a result of this generally, the best season to purchase spinach in your local area is in the spring and autumn months when the spinach is at its best.
Lettuce on the other hand is a plant that is more tolerant of warmer conditions and is grown for a longer period during the year therefore it is generally easier to get fresh lettuce leaves most of the year though lettuce plants are susceptible to bolting in warm weather just like spinach.
How Do You Tell If Plants Are Related?
Generally, it is relatively difficult to tell where the plants are actually related to one another in many cases because their physical appearance can vary significantly. However, one of the easiest ways to tell that a plant is from the same family is by looking at the seeds of the plant.
Plants from the same families will have seeds that look similar in appearance. For example lettuces, all have a similar shape seed to grass. Typically, the seeds are relatively small flat elongated seeds that have a shape similar to a tiny little canoe looking from above. However, in many cases, you will see that the color of the seeds can vary with some lettuce seeds having black, white, or brown seeds.
However, spinach plants have much larger seeds that are somewhat rounded though the shape is irregular which is more consistent with the beet family.
Other plants that many people assume are lettuces include arugula which is also sometimes called rocket. This plant is actually a brassica that is closely related to broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. It has seeds that are dark in color and look similar and shape to mustard seeds which are also a member of the brassica family.
What Are The Different Types Of Lettuce?
There are many different varieties of lettuce which generally can be categorized into four main groups which include romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, loose Leaf lettuce varieties, and butterhead lettuce.
Romaine lettuce is one of the most popular varieties sold in the supermarket and in some countries they are referred to as cos lettuces. These lettuces generally have an elongated shape with a relatively thick spine running down the center of the lettuce leaves. These plants are normally sold as headed varieties rather than loose leaves.
The second variety is iceberg lettuce which is also extremely popular in the supermarket and has a much more rounded shape. Iceberg lettuce is generally larger than romaine lettuce in most cases and they tend to be a similar size to cabbages that are also sold in the supermarket.
Loose leaf varieties cover quite a wide range of different lettuce varieties that are generally sold in bags that contain 4 to 5 different varieties which in some cases can also include things like baby beetroot leaves.
The last variety is a subset of the loose-leaf varieties which are referred to as butterhead lettuce because they have an extremely soft delicate texture with no veins or supporting spines within the structure of the leaves. In most cases, the varieties sold in supermarkets are lime green in color and some of the most common varieties are things like oakleaf which is sometimes offered as an entire lettuce in supermarkets with the roots still attached.
Is Spinach Healthier Than Lettuce?
Spinach is generally considered to be a slightly healthier option than lettuce though both plants are relatively healthy options when compared to many other types of foods. The reason for this is that spinach has significantly more potassium, protein, calcium, iron, niacin, and vitamins A, C, B, C, and B-12 than any other leafy vegetable.
Additionally, spinach has larger amounts of dietary fiber and trace elements which include magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium than any of the varieties of lettuce mentioned in the previous section of the article.
Which Is The Best To Grow In Your Garden? Spinach Or Lettuce?
You may also be considering whether you should grow either one of these plants in your garden at home to get fresh leaves, so which one is better?
Generally, if I had to select which plant to grow and my garden I would definitely go for lettuce rather than spinach for a couple of reasons. The first is, as mentioned earlier in the article, spinach has a limited period of the year in which it can grow which is in spring or autumn whereas lettuce can be grown all year round. However, both plants do present a challenge in terms of keeping a constant supply because both plants do bolt relatively easily, which means they flower and produce seeds.
Generally, both plants will run the seed relatively quickly when the temperatures rise, however lettuce plants do this a little bit slower than spinach which makes them more suitable for growing in the summer period.
In addition to this lettuce plants generally produce larger yields than spinach plants and can be harvested multiple times over a period of weeks though the length of this time does greatly depend upon the weather.
How To Grow Spinach And Lettuce At Home
Both plants are relatively easy to grow and can be planted directly into the garden or into a seed tray. I personally favor planting into a seed tray because you control the conditions more easily and get the plant started earlier if the weather conditions are not favorable.
To maximize the yield you get from spinach in particular you need to plant seeds in late winter or early spring when the weather is still relatively cool in the seed tray as this will allow you to get the plants going before the weather improves and maximize the period over which you can grow the plants.
If you are growing plants in seed trays I recommend a slightly different technique for spinach compared to lettuce. Lettuce should be ideally planted into open trays that do not contain any individual cells whereas spinach is far more suited to being grown in individual cells and transplanted separately into the garden.
To start either plant off start by filling the seed tray with a good quality seed-raising mix and firm the soil into the tray to form a solid plug of soil. In the case of lettuce, it needs light to germinate so the easiest way to plant the seeds is to sprinkle them in rows across the surface of the seed tray approximately 2 to 3 inches apart.
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In the case of spinach, I recommend that you plant 2 to 3 seeds per cell at a depth of approximately half an inch to ensure that you get a plant coming up and every single cell. Once the seeds are planted they will generally be relatively quick to germinate with both plants typically appearing after 7 to 14 days.
In both cases, the seedlings will need to spend approximately 4 to 6 weeks in the seed tray before they are large enough to plant out into the garden. During this period the seed trays need to remain constantly moist to ensure that the seeds grow relatively rapidly.
Transplanting Seedlings Into The Garden
Once the plants reach the point where they are large enough to plant out into the garden there are two different methods that I use to plant the lettuce and spinach seedlings. In the case of the lettuce seedlings which have been sown in rows the easiest way to transplant seedlings into the garden is to create a pre-prepared furrow that is approximately 2 to 3 inches deep.
Once the furrow has been created the seeds can be transplanted into the garden by lifting the row up using a trowel which will allow you to plant the seeds out in the garden extremely quickly with a minimum of effort.
However, in the case of spinach seedlings because they are in individual plugs you typically need to create holes at least 8 to 10 inches to plant the seedlings in.
In terms of growing conditions, both plants can be planted in full sun or partial shade each of which has its own advantages. In full sun the plants will typically grow most rapidly which means you will get an earlier harvest, however, as it is hotter in these conditions it also means that the plant will bolt more readily.
In terms of soil conditions both plants are not all that fussy but like all vegetables generally prefer rich moist and free-draining soil with plenty of nutrients in it. So it may be necessary to add an additional bag of compost before you plant out into the garden.
The other key thing to do once you plant the seeds into the garden is to apply snail bait around the plants as both will be highly susceptible to attack.
Harvest Spinach And Lettuce
Spinach and lettuce can both be harvested at any stage once the leaves reach a reasonable size and it is definitely a crop that you want to harvest quickly and frequently to get the best of the plant while it is available.
To ensure that you get multiple harvests it is best to remove only a few leaves from each plant to ensure that you leave some leaves on the plant to continue to photosynthesize which will allow the plant to recover more quickly.
However, it is important when harvesting lettuce that you taste the lettuce as you are harvesting because it can go bitter relatively easily even if there are no signs of the plant bolting yet.
In the case of lettuce in particular which can grow in the warmer months, it is important to sow lettuce seeds frequently to ensure a continuous supply as plants will bolt relatively easily in the warmer weather. The simplest rule that I apply to ensure that I am planting enough lettuce seeds throughout the season is to plant a new tray of seeds as soon as the old tray is going out into the garden which in most cases should leave you with a continuous supply of lettuce throughout the year.
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