LIVE FROM THE FIELDS: Iceberg Lettuce Weights

[@nickbeef5711]

Thanks John. When you say cold, what temperature is considered cold for the lettuce to stop growing/put on weight?

[@MarkonCooperativeProduce]

Thanks for your question, Nick. Most lettuce varieties grow best with daytime highs in the 60-70°F range and lows in the 40s. Although we had close to these conditions in December and January, the problem we experienced was several mornings with temperatures as low as the upper 20s to upper 30s. This caused the crops to actually freeze and dehydrate a little once they thawed out. Soil temperatures also dropped to about 50°, which is about 10° lower than we’d like to see for steady plant growth. These were the main factors that caused the whole industry to see below normal case weights for most of December and January.

[@swrtsolutionsinc.1092]

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