How to Grow Lettuce

Sow the first seeds outdoors a few weeks before your last spring frost, as soon as the soil can be worked. Lettuce seed is tiny, so scatter it thinly in a shallow row, cover with a sprinkle of soil, and pat it down. Keep the row moist until sprouts show, usually within a week or so.

For a fall crop, sow again in late summer. Seeds may refuse to sprout in hot soil, so sow in the evening, water well, and shade the row with a board or cloth until the green shows.

One big sowing gives you one big glut, then nothing. Instead, sow a short row every week or two through the cool seasons. Small, steady plantings mean fresh leaves for months and no wasted crop.

Thin crowded seedlings so plants end up a few inches apart for leaf types, more for heads. Crowded lettuce stays small and mildew prone. The thinnings are tender and go straight into a salad, so nothing is wasted.

Lettuce roots are shallow, so the top of the soil must not dry out. Water often and lightly, and mulch around plants once they are up to hold moisture in. Even moisture also keeps leaves sweet and stops the tips from browning.

In warm spells, a bit of afternoon shade helps a lot. A trellis of climbing beans on the sunny side of the bed shades lettuce below it, which is one trick from our guide to vertical gardening. Rich, loose soil helps too, and the mix in our raised bed garden soil mix guide is just right.

For leaf lettuce, cut the outer leaves once the plant is big enough, and leave the center to keep growing. This cut and come again method gives harvests from the same plant for weeks. Cut in the morning when leaves are crisp.

When a plant starts to stretch tall and taste bitter, it is bolting and done. Pull it, feed the bed a little compost from your pile, and sow the next row. Our guide on how to start composting shows how to keep that supply going.