Vegetable · Leafy green
Lettuce
Lactuca sativaThe backbone of a fresh salad patch, quick to mature and available in loose-leaf, butterhead, romaine, and crisphead forms. Cool weather keeps it sweet, while heat turns it bitter and sends it to seed. The one rule: keep sowings coming little and often for a steady, unbroken supply.
Sow depth
¼ in
Spacing
8 in · rows 12 in
Sun
Sun or part shade
Germination
7–14 days
Time to harvest
45–60 days
Difficulty
Easy
When to sow lettuce
- Sow from about 4 weeks before your last expected frost until about 6 weeks before the first expected autumn frost.
Direct sow shallowly — lettuce seed needs light to germinate well.Press seed onto the surface rather than burying it deeply.Succession sow a short row every couple of weeks for continuity.
Keep soil moist — dry spells trigger bitterness and early bolting.Give afternoon shade in warm weather to slow leaves from toughening.Thin crowded seedlings so remaining plants can head up properly.
Cut outer leaves first — for loose-leaf types, harvest continually.Slice whole heads at the base once they feel firm to the touch.Pick in the cool of the day for the crispest, least bitter leaves.
Companion plants
Fast-growing radishes and lettuce share space well, with radishes clearing out before lettuce needs the room.
Watch out for
Slugs and snails — Shred seedlings overnight, especially in damp weather. Use a beer trap or copper barrier and check under mulch after rain.