Home » Misc » Can i plant lettuce now

Can i plant lettuce now


A Guide to Planting & Harvesting Lettuce

You might not be surprised to find out that the most widely planted salad vegetable in the United States is lettuce. As the foundation of your salad and your garden, lettuce is an ideal garden vegetable. You can tuck it into small areas, it grows easily and it loves cool weather. These lettuce growing tips will keep your garden and salad bowl full of crisp, green lettuce.

How to Grow Lettuce

Lettuce is an easy-to-grow annual vegetable. Considered a spring and fall crop, lettuce thrives when temperatures are between 60 to 70 degrees F. Many varieties reach maturity in as little as 30 days, and some can even be harvested much earlier as microgreens. From your garden beds to patio containers, these simple steps will give you a bountiful supply of crisp salad greens throughout multiple seasons.

    1. When to Plant Lettuce

Lettuce loves cool weather. You can begin planting leaf, romaine and butterhead lettuce as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring. Depending on the variety, lettuce germinates in temperatures between 40 to 85 degrees F. If you plant lettuce in successive plantings, with 10 to 14 days in between, you’ll have an extended harvest. To prevent summer bolt, stop planting one month before warm summer temperatures start. Begin planting fall lettuce in late summer so it reaches maturity when the fall air is cool.

Head lettuce is usually started indoors or in a cold frame and transplanted in the spring after the last frost date. Growing lettuce from seedlings for early spring transplant is a good way to get a head start on the growing season.

    1. Where to Plant Lettuce

The ideal lettuce growing location for spring and fall is in a spot that receives full sun. If you plan on growing lettuce during the summer or in warm planting zones, partial shade can provide protection from the heat. Growing lettuce from seed in late summer may require generous artificial shade to help cool the soil for germination. Once days become cooler, the shade can be removed to give plenty of sunlight to young lettuce plants.

Lettuce grows best in loose, cool soil with good drainage. The addition of organic materials, such as compost or manure, will increase drainage, provide essential nutrients and improve your lettuce growing conditions. If you’ve had trouble with lettuce growth, consider purchasing a soil test kit. Lettuce is sensitive to low pH. The addition of lime can help bring the pH to at least 6.0.

    1. How to Plant Lettuce

It doesn’t take much work to grow lettuce from seeds. Lettuce seeds are often quite small and only require a planting depth of ¼ to ½ inch deep. Growing lettuce in rows gives your garden a traditional look. Consider alternating rows of green and red lettuce for a whimsical touch.

How far apart to plant lettuce depends on the type of lettuce you’re planting. When sowing seeds directly into the soil, you should plant approximately 10 seeds per foot. Space your rows 12 to 18 inches apart. Thin leaf lettuce seedlings to 4 inches apart. Romaine and butterhead lettuce seedlings require 6 to 8 inches between each plant. Removed seedlings can be transplanted or eaten as delicious, tender microgreens.

Head lettuce is usually grown from seeds started indoors during warm weather for a fall garden. Transplant head lettuce in rows 12 to 18 inches apart with 10 to 12 inches between each plant.

    1. Water Requirements for Lettuce

You don’t need lettuce to develop deep roots. In fact, you want to encourage leaf growth over rooting. Lettuce watering should be light, frequent and consistent. The goal is to simply keep the soil moist. Avoid watering too often – overwatering leads to root rot, disease and stunted growth.

    1. Protecting Against Disease and Pests

Aphids can easily destroy a lettuce patch. Leaves curl and wilt as nutrients and water are sucked away. Aphids also spread disease and create mold issues. You’ll find these annoying little white pests hiding on the undersides of lettuce leaves. There isn’t a systemic insecticide to control aphids, so your best option is to encourage natural predators, such as lady beetles, or to apply a horticultural soap or neem oil.

Snails, slugs and caterpillars also love lettuce. Insecticides are one option, but traps, organic bait and hand picking provide organic solutions to these common pests.

If you notice your lettuce beginning to brown and curl, it could be suffering from a physiological condition known as tipburn. Tipburn is often seen on lettuce when moisture is not consistent. Simply trim the browned lettuce and begin a consistent watering schedule.

How to Harvest Lettuce

You don’t have to worry about how to pick lettuce – it’s one of the simplest vegetables to harvest. Most lettuce can be harvested between 30 to 70 days after planting. When to harvest lettuce depends on the variety and what it will be used for. Really, timing is based on individual preference. Once your lettuce reaches the size you want, it’s ready! Harvesting lettuce in the morning gives you the best flavor.

Knowing how to harvest leaf lettuce is easy. You can either cut the entire bundle off at ground level, or you can remove just a few leaves at a time. Romaine, butterhead and head lettuce are easily cut off near ground level. If you harvest every other lettuce plant, you give the remaining plants room to continue growing.

Growing Different Types of Lettuce

There are four popular types of lettuce grown in the United States: romaine, butterhead, head and loose-leaf lettuce. Although the growing and care process is similar for all types, each lettuce has distinct characteristics in the garden.

Growing Green and Red Leaf Lettuce

Leaf lettuce varieties are the easiest lettuces to grow. Although many people assume red leaf lettuce is grown differently, growing red leaf lettuce is exactly the same as growing green lettuce. You can grow leaf lettuce in rows for nice bundles of loose leaf lettuce, or you can sow it thickly in a garden bed or container for harvest as young, tender lettuce. By harvesting leaf lettuce through trimming it a few inches above the soil, you can get two to three harvests from one planting. Popular cultivars include Red Sails, Tango and Slobolt.

Growing Romaine Lettuce

Romaine, also known as cos, forms tall, tight bundles of thick, sweet lettuce leaves. Reaching up to 20 inches tall, most romaine lettuces take 60 to 80 days to harvest. The extended growing season works because romaine is able to grow without bolting in the warm summers. Growing red romaine lettuce requires the same garden techniques as growing green varieties. Green Towers, Valley Heart and Red Eyes Cos are all interesting romaine cultivars.

Growing Head Lettuce

Crisphead lettuce, or head for short, is the lettuce we know as Iceberg. One of the most popular types of lettuce, salad lovers all over the country often wonder how to grow Iceberg lettuce. Growing Iceberg lettuce requires a bit more care than other varieties. For the best results, plant head lettuce in your fall garden. By avoiding the warm summer weather, you produce sweeter lettuce. In addition to Iceberg, Ithaca, Great Lakes and Crispivo are great head lettuce cultivars.

Growing Butterhead Lettuce

Butterhead lettuce varieties produce tightly folded heads of tender lettuce leaves. The middle leaves are often self-blanching to a delicate white color. Named after the subtle butter flavor, this mild lettuce adds a sweet touch to salads. Try Ermosa, Esmeralda or Nancy in your lettuce garden.

Common Questions About Growing Lettuce

How Long Does It Take Lettuce to Grow?

Lettuce grows fairly quickly. Leaf varieties reach maturity in 30 days but can be harvested as soon as they reach the desired size. Other types of lettuce require 6 to 8 weeks to reach full harvest size.

Can you grow lettuce year ’round?

Garden zones with minimum temperatures in the 60s can grow lettuce all year round. Lettuce seeds germinate in temperatures between 40 to 80 degrees F, depending on the cultivar. Active growth takes place when days are between 60 to 70 degrees. Warmer zones can grow lettuce throughout the winter if you stick to planting lettuce in the fall. Other areas can use modifications, such as cold frames, row covers and greenhouses to extend the growing season.

Can you grow lettuce in hot weather?

Lettuce does not like hot weather. The plant panics and decides that it better produce seeds as quickly as possible. Seed stems develop, and the plant begins diverting nutrients to seed production. This process, known as bolting, produces bitter lettuce.

To reduce lettuce bolting, first look for bolt-resistant lettuce cultivars. Slobolt, for example, can be grown in warmer temperatures. Other gardening tricks to prevent bolting in warm weather include planting lettuce in shady areas, using mulch to cool the ground and conserve moisture, and providing a light mist of overhead irrigation to cool plants.

to enjoy crops through the year |

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

Once you know when to plant lettuce, you'll be able to enjoy the healthy and nutritious leaves with nearly every meal.

Lettuce is available in a wide range of colors and flavors, from crisp and crunchy iceberg, slightly bitter romaine varieties, to milder tasting, frilly loose leaf lettuce, such as burgundy tinted lollo rosso. An easy crop for your home vegetable patch, even novice vegetable gardeners will be able to quickly get to grips with how to grow lettuce. 

Homegrown lettuce is both more flavorsome and more economical than buying bags from the grocery store – which have sometimes wilted before you even get them home – so once you start growing lettuce you'll never look back. Pick a variety to plant for your vegetable garden ideas and you'll be spoilt for choice of what to add to salads. Below, we explain everything you need to know about when to plant lettuce.

When to plant lettuce

(Image credit: Toinane on Unsplash)

When you plant lettuce seeds will depend on when you want to harvest the leaves, the variety you choose, and also where you live.  

'Lettuce should be succession grown, which means good timing and good choice,’ says celebrity gardener Monty Don in his Gardeners' World programme.

'Be sure to choose the right variety of lettuce for the right season for a supply throughout the year,' he adds.

Lettuce is a cool season crop so prefers conditions that are not too warm; if you live in a hotter zone, then opt for varieties that can cope with warmer conditions and won't bolt – produce flowers – as easily, and plant them where they will benefit from some shade. This can be achieved by companion planting them next to taller, leafy crops.

If you like to include lettuce in salads or sandwiches almost year round, then there are different times for sowing. 

Lettuce is also suited to vegetable container garden ideas, so you can extend the growing season by placing containers to sheltered spots.

(Image credit: Unsplash)

What month should you plant lettuce?

There are many months in which you can plant lettuce.

Lettuce can be sown direct outdoors from early spring until late summer, for crops through summer and fall. 'Sow lettuce directly into the garden under a fine layer of soil after the last hard frost,' advises gardening guru Jo Gardener , although most lettuce can tolerate a mild spring frost. 

The seeds will germinate in one to two weeks in soil that is between 40 and 75°F   (4-23°C) , 'but between 40 and 60°F will produce the best results,' Joe adds.

Sow seeds thinly, about ½in deep, 8in apart, in rows about 1ft apart. 

By sowing seeds every couple of weeks, you'll have a continual supply to harvest, which makes the best use of space as a small vegetable garden idea.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

How early can you plant lettuce outside?

The earliest you can plant lettuce outside is after the last hard frost for most varieties, which will vary from region to region.

However, for an earlier crop, in late spring, you can sow the seeds indoors in early February, or about 4 weeks before the last hard frost as part of your greenhouse planning and then plant out the seedlings in early March, under cloches or plastic tunnels.

'Some varieties, especially iceberg-type lettuces, can be started indoors earlier, about 8 weeks before the last frost,' says Joe.

To start off indoors, 'fill seed trays with compost nearly to the top, then thinly scatter one or two seeds across the surface of each cell. Cover with a fine layer of compost, and give them a gentle water,' advises Sam Corfield in his book Sow Grow Gather: the beginner's guide to growing an edible garden .

By starting lettuce seedlings indoors and planting out as soon as possible, you will get the maximum harvest from the lettuce plants before they start to bolt in the warmer weather.

(Image credit: Future/Simon Brown)

If you are staggering sowing every couple of weeks through spring and summer, then as the soil temperature rises it may prevent some cultivars from germinating.

The experts at the RHS recommend sowing in the evening in hot spells, then water well and provide the lettuce crops with some shade to keep them cooler.  

You can also choose lettuce varieties that are more heat tolerant, such as butterhead and loose leaf.  Check the seed packets for those labeled 'heat resistant'.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

How late can I grow lettuce?

The latest you. can leave it for when to plant lettuce will again depend on the variety. 

You can sow lettuce in late summer for winter crops, protecting the plants with cloches once the temperature starts to dip.

There are some winter lettuces, such as Winter Density, a cross between butterhead and romaine, that can be planted or sown in the fall, especially in milder areas, and then protected with cloches. Or if you live in a cooler zone, sow the winter lettuce in a greenhouse or cold frame. These will be ready to harvest in spring.

(Image credit: Getty)

When do you plant lettuce in containers?

Lettuce is an ideal crop for planting in containers and can be planted a little earlier than if you are growing it direct in the ground as you can protect the potted crops from frost.

If you have started off your lettuce in seed trays, they once the plants are about 3in tall,  'fill up your chosen container with potting soil and create small holes 8in apart. Pop a baby lettuce into each hole and gently press down around the base to secure. Keep them well watered,' advises Sam Corfield. 

Cut-and-come-again loose leaf lettuce make the best use of container space and will be easier to maintain. Ensure the container has good drainage and place it in a sunny spot, although in hot spells move to a shadier location to avoid the lettuce bolting.

So with careful planning of when to plant lettuce and selecting the right varieties to grow at different times, you can enjoy a homegrown crop of the delicious salad leaves nearly every month of the year.

Rachel is senior content editor, and writes and commissions gardening content for homesandgardens.com, Homes & Gardens magazine, and its sister titles Period Living Magazine and Country Homes & Interiors.  She has written for lifestyle magazines for many years, with a particular focus on gardening, historic houses and arts and crafts, but started out her journalism career in BBC radio, where she enjoyed reporting on and writing programme scripts for all manner of stories. Rachel then moved into regional lifestyle magazines, where the topics she wrote about, and people she interviewed, were as varied and eclectic as they were on radio. Always harboring a passion for homes and gardens, she jumped at the opportunity to work on The English Home and The English Garden magazines for a number of years, before joining the Period Living team, then the wider Homes & Gardens team, specializing in gardens.

How to grow leaf lettuce on a windowsill and garden bed

May 13, 2022 Likbez Tips

Follow the instructions and you will no longer have to buy greens in stores.

Where you can grow lettuce

Leaf lettuce thrives in garden beds. In open ground, you can plant both seeds and seedlings grown at home or bought in a store.

If you don't have a dacha or your own plot near the house, lettuce will perfectly fit in a container on the windowsill. You can grow greens from seeds or try rooting a bunch in a pot from the vegetable section. nine0003

How to grow lettuce from seed outdoors

The easiest option is to plant leaf lettuce seeds directly in the ground. So you do not have to mess with seedlings, and the result will be no worse, although a little later. It will be possible to harvest in 25-35 days.

It is better to choose a sunny place, without shading. Well, if last year legumes, tomatoes, cucumbers or potatoes grew there. Thanks to crop rotation - the so-called alternation of plants - the risk of damage by pests and diseases will decrease, the harvest will be better. But sowing lettuce in the same bed for two years in a row is not worth it. nine0003

When to plant lettuce outdoors

Early varieties can be planted as early as April-May, while mid-season and late varieties can be planted from April to mid-June. When planting early, the main thing is to wait until the ground warms up enough and warm weather sets in without frost.

Lettuce can be re-sown periodically, removing old plants by the roots. So you can get a crop all summer.

How to grow lettuce outdoors

Dig up the soil 1-2 days before you sow the seeds. Make parallel grooves about a centimeter deep or slightly less at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other. nine0003

Sow the seeds at about 5 cm intervals, lightly cover with soil and water. If it is cool outside, the beds can be covered with a film until shoots appear.

When the greenery shows through, it can be thinned out if the planting is too dense.

Too dense plantings can be thinned out to give the plants enough room to grow and develop / Photo: tanitost / Shutterstock

How to care for lettuce

Weeding, watering and loosening are the main points in care. On hot spring and summer days, you need to moisten the beds with lettuce every 1-2 days. In cloudy, rainy and cool weather, the intervals can be increased. The main thing is not to let the soil dry out completely. It is better to water in the morning or in the evening, and not during the most sunny hours. Moreover, it is desirable to use a watering can so that moisture gets on the leaves of the plant. After watering, gently loosen the topsoil. nine0003

Feeding and special fertilizers can be dispensed with during growth. It is enough to bring mullein or bird droppings into the ground in the fall, and start planting in the spring. Don't worry if you don't have time to prepare in advance. In fertile and not depleted soil, lettuce will feel good anyway.

Remove weeds as soon as they appear so that they do not interfere with the normal growth and development of plants.

How to grow lettuce from seedlings outdoors

Growing lettuce seedlings makes sense if you want to get the first harvest as soon as possible. Small plants planted in open ground will grow leaves quite quickly, and it will be possible to start collecting them in one and a half to two weeks. nine0003

When to plant lettuce seedlings

The best time to plant seedlings is March or early April. If you missed the deadline, do not worry: you can buy young plants for planting in the ground even at the beginning of summer.

How to grow lettuce seedlings

It is better to plant lettuce seedlings in peat pots or separate cups - one seed in each. So it will be easier for you to move the plant to a permanent place without damaging it.

Planting lettuce seeds in separate cassettes or pots makes it easier to transplant them without damaging the roots / Photo: Alexander Raths / Shutterstock

If you want to plant lettuce in a common box or container, make grooves in the soil 1 cm deep and at a distance of about 5 cm from each other. Sow the seeds at a distance of about 10 cm. A denser planting will have to be thinned out over time.

Cover the sown seeds with a thin layer of soil and moisten with a spray bottle. Cover with foil and leave for a few days until shoots appear. Do not forget to remove the film every day and air it for at least half an hour, and when the sprouts are visible, remove the cover. nine0003

Soil suitable for universal or special seedlings. Feeds are not needed.

When to transplant lettuce outdoors

After about 3 weeks or less, when the plants are strong enough, they can be planted in a greenhouse or outdoors. At the same time, you need to wait until the earth warms up enough, and the threat of frost recedes.

How to care for lettuce

Caring for lettuce planted outdoors as seedlings is no different from caring for lettuce sown directly in the beds. Depending on the weather, plants should be watered from a watering can in the morning or evening every 1-2 days or less. Also, do not forget to loosen the soil and remove weeds. nine0003

How to grow lettuce from seeds on a windowsill

Leaf lettuce is a great option for an apartment garden. It is very easy to take care of, and you can harvest the first harvest in about 25 days. It is worth paying attention to early-ripening varieties that feel fine in low light.

No special conditions are needed, although some points are better to take into account. Ideally, if the windows face east or west and are not too shaded by trees. It will be too hot on southern plants, and there will be little light on northern plants. nine0003

In autumn and winter, when daylight hours are short, special lamps will have to be used. Without them, the plants will be frail and will not please with abundant greenery.

In late spring, summer and warm autumn, lettuce will feel great on a balcony or loggia / Photo: Ashley‑Belle Burns / Shutterstock

Room temperature is fine. But keep in mind that with constant strong heat, the lettuce will quickly release arrows and begin to bloom, and the leaves will be bitter.

For planting, you can take ordinary pots or larger containers, always with drainage holes and trays. The soil is suitable for store, universal or special for vegetable crops. In addition to it, drainage is needed. It can be expanded clay, broken bricks, small shards of raw clay pots, pebbles, gravel and even foam. nine0003

When to plant lettuce on the windowsill

There are no strict time limits when growing indoors. Seeds can be sown at any time of the year.

How to plant lettuce seeds

Place a layer of drainage on the bottom of the container. Spread the soil on top, retreating from the edge of about 0.5 cm. Slightly moisten the ground with a spray bottle, but do not create a swamp.

Sow the seeds not too thick and cover with a layer of soil no thicker than 5 mm. If you do not want to thin out crops, place the seeds in the ground at a distance of at least 5 cm.

Cover the container with film or glass and leave in a warm, shady place.

How to care for lettuce on the windowsill

Air the plantings every day for at least half an hour before germination to prevent mold.

After 4-5 days, when the first shoots emerge from the soil, remove the film or glass. Rearrange the container with plants on the windowsill or loggia. After a week, thin out your plantings so that the distance between plants is approximately 1.5–2 cm. When 2–3 true leaves appear, repeat the procedure again. This time, leave a distance of about 5 cm. You can plant the plants that you have to pull out in a separate bowl. nine0003

Rotate the container of lettuce every few days. So it will develop evenly and will not turn out to be one-sided due to the fact that one side will be constantly in the sun, and the other will not.

Don't forget to water. It is needed on average every other day, although it all depends on the conditions. For example, in a warm room or on the southern windowsills on hot days, the earth will dry faster. Therefore, do not leave the salad unattended. At first, while the plants are very small and fragile, it is advisable to combine watering with spraying. Although after, especially in rooms with dry air, this procedure will benefit. In any case, it is better to use water at room temperature or a little warmer, always separated. nine0003

Top dressing is not needed if you immediately take high-quality store soil.

How to grow lettuce from a grocery store on a windowsill

The vegetable department often sells lettuce in pots. Due to the fact that plants have a root system, they stay fresh longer and store better. And after cutting the greenery, the plants can be planted and re-harvested from them.

Another crop can be harvested from store-bought lettuce in a pot / Photo: ArtSvetlana / Shutterstock

When to plant a lettuce in a pot

You can give a plant a second life at any time of the year, the main thing is to create the right conditions.

How to plant lettuce in a pot

Cut off all lettuce leaves 1-2 cm from the ground. Carefully separate the pot. It is quite thin and brittle, so it can be cut with a sharp knife or scissors.

Place the roots in a bowl of settled water at room temperature.

When the new leaves are 4-5 cm long, plant the lettuce in a pot or container with an all purpose store soil. nine0003

How to care for lettuce in a pot

No problem. Just water the salad about every other day and spray frequently. No need to feed. This is enough to harvest another new crop.

Read also 🧐

How to sow lettuce - 3 proven ways for different situations

Lettuce seeds can be sown from early spring to early autumn. Learn how to do it right in order to reap a good harvest from even the smallest garden. nine0003

Lettuce seeds can be sown as a single bed or between other vegetables. Carrots, parsnips and even tomatoes are considered good salad neighbors.

You can sow several rows of lettuce between roses or other flowers right in the flower bed.

Method #1 - spot sowing

This method will help you out if there are not very many seeds. In order for all sown lettuce seeds to sprout, they must be prepared in advance. Do not neglect seedbed preparation and plant dry seeds into the ground using the spot sowing method. It is better to soak them for a day in water, and if it is an infusion of ash, then the seeds will also be enriched with trace elements. To prepare it you will need:

Pour the ash into water, mix thoroughly, infuse for 2 days, then filter. Lettuce seeds are left in this infusion for 24 hours, and after that, slightly swollen, they are sown in holes up to 2 cm deep.

Bed preparation is one of the most important steps in the process of sowing and harvesting

The distance between seeds depends on the type of lettuce. Leaves can be sown 5-6 cm apart, but half-headed and head-headed 8-10 and 15-20 cm, respectively. From above, the seeds are covered with loose earth and compacted a little. nine0003

Method #2 - semi-seedling method

This method is suitable for those who are going to grow lettuce for sale. It allows you to get greens in a very early time. To get lettuce seedlings, you need to prepare the seeds, as in the description of the first method. Then they must be sown in a container with a depth of no more than 3 cm and wait for seedlings.

Such seedlings can be planted in a bunch on the bed

After 4-6 days, when the first cotyledon leaves appear, carefully remove 3-5 lettuce seedlings together with the ground and plant in a bunch in the prepared grooves on the bed. nine0003

It is better to sow lettuce varieties that do not tend to shoot, for example, Dude , Major , Tango , Zador .

The distance between such lettuce bushes must be at least 20 cm.

Method #3 - thick seeding

This method is suitable for those who want to quickly get the first greens.

Learn more