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 46°F and 81°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 8 - 12 inches 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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19 Feb 16, terry lobban (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
thanks matt what is the something that's added to the lettuce starch maybe
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09 Jan 16, debbie (Australia - temperate climate)
I planned lots of lettuce (cos and ornamental/frilly? Red and green) early December and rhry have all bolted or not grown much. It is hot here in Perth. I tried snipping off outer leaves early but they were very bitter. Am i wasting my time growing lettuce in summer in Perth? Thank you. Debbie
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15 Feb 16, Dee (Australia - temperate climate)
Sounds like they're having water and heat problems Debbie. Pretty tough to deal with in the Perth heat I imagine. You could always collect the seed and try another crop at a cooler time.
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12 Jan 16, Andy (Australia - arid climate)
Yup I think it would be hard to grow in summe, the arid Australia climate zone is probably more accurate. Meaning you could start planting in March but I think more realistically April.
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26 Oct 15, john roche (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Chris, I googled Glenda White and found your old post. Best lettuce ever. Is the seed available anywhere now? Best regards John Roche
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26 Jun 15, Peter (Australia - temperate climate)
Just planted lettuce and asking what I need to do so they don't get eaten by bugs and slugs.
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08 Oct 15, Peter Levett (Australia - temperate climate)
Gday Pete, I grow heaps of "close to the ground" short marigolds to keep lugs and snails out of the garden, & tall marigolds for higher plants like tomatoes & chillies to deter fruit fly, & a whole punnet of Thai Sweet Basil around each tomato plant . You can give me a call if you would like to on 02 63450027. I live 24 km from Cowra in the Central west NSW. Cheers Pete Levett
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21 Mar 15, Rami Ghattas (Australia - temperate climate)
I live in country NSW, Why should I avoid planting lettuce & parsely in the same bed??? I have just did that this morning and now reading this article I am concered? should I dig the one of them out and move it or ?? Thanks in advance for ur help.
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15 Feb 16, Dee (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Rami Sometimes plants can stunt the growth of others, starve them of nutrients or attract insects that will devour a crop. I found an interesting article on companion planting on the sgaonline website. Unable to post the link here but if you do a search for the website and 'companion planting' I'm sure you'll find it.
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24 Jan 15, kazi taurai (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
wat are the recomended control measure on snails
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Showing 111 - 120 of 258 comments
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Most clear plastic is considered direct sunlight - unless there are special filters in the plastic. That is to say, if the only thing between your lettuce and the sun is regular clear plastic, you should be fine. As and FYI there are multiple categories: 1. Direct sunlight - some plants require direct sunlight on their leaves 2. BRIGHT shade; for example when I lived in a Condo, my balcony had no direct sunlight, but because the buildings beside my building had huge glass windows I had VERY bright shade and could grow most full sun potted plants. This also applies to living near the water, where the sun gets reflected-- MOST full sun plants are fine with REFLECTED light but not all. This could also be a a very sunny field, with shade cast from one building, chances are good that would be very bright shade 3. Sun/Shade with all its variations 4. Light shade and 5. Deep shade like the middle of a dense forest. I see no reason why you could not grow SOME of your veggies in the bright shade. I find that many plants labelled full sun, are not. For example: strawberries are generally labelled full sun. However, strawberries TEND to grow naturally in the shade of other plants: woodland or forest floor, in meadows shaded by other plants. I've noticed that any of my strawberries that get full sun tend to have burnt leaves, and the best yielding strawberry plants are in a cool predominately shady areas. I suspect that planting your plants that tend to bolt in a cooler shadier area would be very helpful. I've even grown cherry tomatoes in very bright shade with great success.

- Celeste Archer

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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