This is the lovely time of year when many home gardeners can say goodbye to the grocery store greens and enjoy their own lettuce harvest. But early pests can be a problem, too.

Other than our toddler pulling out lettuce and twirling it around by its roots, I havent had many problems with insects or viruses on my lettuce. Part of the reason I think we have minimal disease issues is because we are inherently dry.

For those who have issues with the fungal diseases of damping off or downy mildew (where fuzzy patches appear on the underside of the leaves), the best prevention is to keep them from standing in damp soil. Use a soaker hose and treat with a fungicide, such as a copper soap, if the problem is intolerable. Be sure to follow the directions to allow enough time between application and harvest.

Lettuce: Mosaic Virus

Lettuce affected with mosaic virus will often have a brown discoloration on the leaves until it ultimately shrivels and dies.

Remove infected plants as soon as possible to minimize the spread of the infection. As with the plants infected with a fungal disease, dont toss them in the compost bin unless you are diligent about keeping your compost cooking. It has to be over 100-degrees Fahrenheit to kill most bacterial, fungal or viral infections, which can be a challenge.

Aphids

Aphids are a big transmitter of the mosaic virus, and I just learned this week that aphids can travel hundreds of miles on air currents. The aphids we have here in central Montana might have caught a ride on the jet stream from the fruit orchards in Washington State. Great!

To take care of aphids, break out the neem oil to spritz the little sap suckers. If you dont have neem oil on hand, you can make your own natural insecticidal spray by steeping 4 cloves of crushed garlic in a coupe of tablespoons of mineral oil overnight. Strain out the garlic chunks and pour it in a clean spray bottle. Add a pint of water and spritz away.

Encouraging healthy lady beetle and parasitic wasp populations also help keep aphids under control. Planting cosmos, dill and parsley in the garden to provide plants for these beneficial insects helps bring in the good guys to do your heavy work for you.

Tarnished Plant Bug

The tarnished plant bug (Lygus lineolaris) is a widespread pest that will also suck the life out of lettuce and many members of the brassica family. Theyre actually kind of pretty. The tarnished plant bug is a copper to dark brown colored bug that is only one-quarter inch long. They have crossed wings and white marks behind their head. They overwinter in debris and lay eggs on the host plants in the spring. It typically takes a week for them to hatch, and the adults are at full damage capacity in roughly a month.

Organic methods include parasitic wasps, as well as pyrethrum and neem products. Both have shown fairly good results. To nuke them, bring out the Sevin (Carbaryl).

For the most part, lettuce is an easy crop to grow, and theres nothing better than harvesting fresh leaves for the dinner salad.