Butterhead Lettuce Farm

by Robert Bales

Title

Butterhead Lettuce Farm

Artist

Robert Bales

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Photograph - Photo

Description

One of the many fields of lettuce fond around Yuma, Arizona.

Tender, delicate and mildly flavored, Butterhead Lettuce contains high quantities of vitamins A and K, plus important antioxidants beta carotene and lutein. The word lettuce is derived from lac, which is Latin for milk referring to the leaves milky fluid.
Yuma is known as the Winter Salad Bowl of the nation,
producing over 90% of the winter leafy greens and vegetables
consumed in the United States. Between the months of
November and March, Yuma is the epicenter of US production
of salad greens. This is great news for home gardeners! When
gardeners in northern climates begin storing their gardening
tools for the winter, gardeners in Yuma are just getting started.
There are two distinct growing seasons in Yuma. The first,
extending from September through February, when the sun
is low and the days are short, is ideal for growing cool season
crops. The second growing season, extending from March
through August, when the sun is higher in the sky and days
are longer is ideal for growing warm season crops. The cool
season is best for growing non-fruiting plants such as lettuce,
spinach, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. These crops thrive
during cool weather and can survive the occasional light
frost that occurs in Yuma. The warm season is the best time
to grow fruiting crops such as tomatoes, squash, melons and
peppers, which can handle the warmer spring temperatures.

Uploaded

January 27th, 2015

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