"Growing lettuce
to pick every day!"

Growing lettuce is one of the most satisying of garden tasks....

Lettuce seed tends to be quick to germinate and simple to grow so you can easily try out different types. Grow a few different varieties. Create the most attractive salad bowl in town!

Sow seed in a seed tray, in VERY short lines. They grow quickly and you won't be able to keep up with the supply if you plant lines longer than about 30cm.

Plant 3 or more different types of lettuce seed in each tray and keep damp and warm. If there is still a possibility of frost in your area, keep the seed trays inside or in a greenhouse until the weather warms up a bit.

Later in the year, lettuce seed can be planted directly outside, although the small plants are much more vulnerable to birds, slugs and drying out in the sun. Lettuce likes the warmth but hardly ever does well in long hot dry summers.

To get around this, you can plant lettuce in a part of the garden that gets a fair amount of shade during the day.

There are new hybrids that are resistant to hot dry weather, but overall you should protect lettuce from these conditions.

Browse the lettuce pages at Thompson & Morgan and get inspired!

"Arctic King" "Mixed Letuce"

Growing lettuce in the UK (Type 'lettuce' into the search box for their full range.)

If you're growing lettuce in the US, Gurney's is a good place to start!

"Green Ice" "Tangy Mix"

Growing lettuce wth Gurney's (Type 'lettuce' into the search box for their full range.)

Growing lettuce - the next step:

When your lettuce seedlings are one or two inches (3-5cm) tall, you will need to thin them. At this stage it is hardly worth replanting the plants you remove. You can try if you wish, but you are probably better off throwing the thinnings into the salad bowl or between 2 slices of bread!

Thin the seedlings to allow an inch or two (3-5cm) of space each, and keep them warm and moist.

A few weeks later your seedlings should be looking like baby lettuces and, depending on weather conditions in your region, may be ready to plant outside.

I like to leave a few lettuces in the greenhouse if I can. These plants always mature quickly and will provide the earliest salads for your table...

Most lettuce can be planted outside in mid-late Spring. The summer months are normally too hot to get lettuces growing - but you may find a variety that will cope in your particular part of the world.

Plant outside in well tended and well-drained soil. The soil should be fine and weed free. Plant the small lettuces up to the base of the leaves and firm in well. Water and watch out for the birds and slugs.

Lettuce benefits from a feed every now and then. They are not normally heavy feeders but a little organic fertiliser once or twice during the growing season will help the lettuce develop well.

Grow enough lettuces to be picking them as you want to. You can dot them about in your veggie patch or grow them in lines. Allow a space of around 12inches (30cm) diameter for each plant. Check on your seed packets for any special instructions on growing lettuce. Each variety will have notes about spacing. But if you've lost all your seed packets, allow about 12inches (30cm) diameter and you can't go far wrong!

Ah ha here's the best bit!

You can plant 'cutting' or 'picking' lettuce in bunches around the garden, where you can always pick enough leaves and the plants just keep growing!

Also, although it's not often advised, you can 'steal' leaves from the growing lettuce early in the season. Sometimes you just can't help it. The young leaves at this time of the year are irresistible!

I try and pick a leaf or two from each plant when they are big enough, just once or twice, then let them grow. Once the lettuce plants start to grow, with enough of a water supply, they will develop very quickly, especially the 'leafy' types. The hard or cos type lettuces will take a bit longer.

When the lettuce is fully developed, you should pick it. Lettuce left in the ground will 'bolt' (run to seed) and make the leaves bitter and inedible.

Remember to plant your seeds every couple of weeks so you have a constant supply of organic fresh lettuce right through until the autumn months.

Look out for winter growing lettuce: Although during the winter months we would rather eat 'warming' meals, a little lettuce as a garnish to a 'special' meal, or just as an addition to a ham sandwich, is the perfect reason to get you out in your greenhouse during the winter months!

Get the kids involved. Lettuce is a great crop for children to grow.

Happy Gardening!

Grow Your Own Winter Food: A good diet incorporating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is a must if you want to stay fit and healthy and keep the bugs at bay during the cold winter months. ("There's more about growing lettuce in this wonderful book - the winter varieties!")

Growing your own winter food is just one way of ensuring you get the freshest, tastiest produce packed with goodness straight from the garden to the kitchen table. This easy-to-follow self-sufficiency book shows you how to grow your own fruit and vegetables for winter use and includes facts on each fruit, vegetable or herb as well as nutritional value, recipe ideas and storage suggestions.

Before the days of computer games and electronic pets, children used to have fun without rummaging about in the fridge every five minutes. Enjoy a few rainy-day games and crafts of yesteryear with today’s kids. They’ll love it and so will you! Granny's Book Of Good Old Fashioned Common Sense

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