Growing Lettuce

lactuca sativa : Asteraceae / the daisy family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
  S S                  
      T T              
      P P P P          

(Best months for growing Lettuce in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden, or start in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks.. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 8°C and 27°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 20 - 30 cm apart
  • Harvest in 8-12 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Carrots, Onions, Strawberries, Beets, Brassicas, Radish, Marigold, Borage, Chervil, Florence fennel, leeks.
  • Avoid growing close to: Parsley, Celery

Your comments and tips

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04 Jun 17, Sue (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
The darkest lettuce I know of is Lolla Rossa Darkness, it is actually a very deep red, loose leaf variety. The Seed Vault (www.theseedvault.co.za) has a picture of it as the main picture under lettuce. The only other one that it could possibly be is Red Oakleaf which is also quite dark. In my experience the better the soil the darker the colour presents on the lettuce (or deeper / brighter if it is a green lettuce).
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11 May 17, jicinta (Australia - temperate climate)
what are the ideal condtions to grow lettuce
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11 May 17, Sean (Australia - temperate climate)
Lettuces thrive in cooler zones. A good supply of old manure or compost will keep them moving and a consistent water supply is a must. Sowing the seed direct, as thinly as possible, will result in better lettuce but this may not always be practical. Watch for slugs as they love them and will hide in the base of the leaves. Sparrows can sometimes be a problem as well.
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22 Mar 17, Brooke (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Can I grow lettuce in freezing conditions that go to -10 degrees celcius?
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23 Mar 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Lettuces prefer cooler weather and can stand a light frost. If the frosts are heavy and continuous the freeze will cause the leaves to break down and become necrotic (rot). Butterhead and Romaine type lettuces will tolerate much cooler conditions than the other varieties. You ccould cover them with old towels, etc but prolonges frosts would stil cause damage. Try growing lettuce as micro-greens on cotton wool or paper towel in a tray dampened with water. You could grow them inside and harvest the little leaves by snipping with scissors. All the best.
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15 Mar 17, Nicki (Australia - temperate climate)
Can spinach and lettuce be grown in the same bed together?
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04 Mar 17, Bev Ayson (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
My lettuce are growing well except The round head is not forming. I have taken a piece of cotton and tied all the outer leaves lightly together and now I see the inside is forming nicely. What am I doing wrong.
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05 Mar 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Sorry you're having trouble with your lettuces. Check whether it is the right variety for the time of year. Unsuitable varieties for the time of year will often stay open and go to seed. Lettuces like cooler conditions generally but there are a number of varieties developed for the hotter months. Warer stress can also cause this even if it was in the punnet before purchase. Trust this helps, sorry I can't help you more.
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04 Feb 17, Gail (Australia - temperate climate)
I have planted a variety of lettuce from seed. From about 15 seeds planted only 1 is starting to grow. I can't see anything eating the shoots could there be bugs in the ground eating the seedling before it shoots?
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04 Feb 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Lettuce and other fine seed like carrot needs consistent moisture to germinate as the seeds are fine. A notorious thief of lettuce and carrot seeds are ants! Sprinkle pepper along the row when sowing the seed, this is an excellent deterrent. Trust this helps.
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Showing 81 - 90 of 259 comments
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I live on Central Coast and grow lettuce through late autumn to late winter. I raise them in seed trays or scatter them in the garden as soon as the last really hot day has gone by and temperatures are no more than 35 degrees c or below. When I put them straight in the garden I scatter seeds over small area and cover with seed raising mix. I keep them moist with a gentle watering can. When 5cm tall I trans-plant them in to another bed. You could also use this method in flat seed raising trays and a spray bottle. By using sugar cane mulch in the ground surrounding the plants (not touching their stems!) I keep them moist. I also water every to every second day as the weather cools down. My suggestions would be scatter lightly oven baked ground eggshells or hair clippings around the plants to deter snails. if they become a problem. Grow with sweet peas and rocket for great salads. The peas will add nitrogen that the leafy greens will enjoy. Choose a loose head variety so you can pick it as it grows and get multiple harvests the size you want. also better suited to Australia. If you want to try planting lettuce now some tips to stop it bolting are to give it PLENTY of shade, keep harvesting it regularly, (about every second day once it gets going) keep moist (planter boxes might work but could be expensive) and pinch off buds that start to form. In my experience even a resistant variety in a nice shady place with lots of water will go to seed/taste bitter early if planted later than August. But I have seen it done. lettuce is a great to grow easy and rewarding but I would suggest waiting until after Summer. I plant lettuces April on, when you plan depends on your climate conditions. Try companion planting basil and tomatoes together while you wait or growing zucchini plants. If you have a meter square garden bed try planting 16 corn plants, 3 pumpkin or zucchini and once corn is 15 cm high planting a bean seed at the base of each corn plant. Beans are also good for nitrogen that both the corn and beans will need. All of the above I recommend planting now if you are getting the feeling it is already summer. I am not sure if what i have written is relevant to more inland areas of NSW but hope it may be helpful. Good luck with your gardening!

- Ferran

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