"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 easy to grow so you can easily try out different types. Grow a few different varieties. Create the most attractive salad bowl in town!
There are hundreds of varieties, from 'pick and come again' to solid icebergs.
Where and when to grow
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 moist 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.
Spring and Autumn sowings ( for summer and winter lettuce ) work very well.
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"
"Freckles"
Growing lettuce in the US
Growing lettuce in the UK
Thompson & Morgan worldwide
Growing lettuce - the next step
When your lettuce seedlling are one or two inches 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 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.
Growing lettuce - 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 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 30cm diameter for your lettuces. 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 30cm diameter and you can't go far wrong!
When to Pick
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 irrestistable!
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.
Growing lettuce - quick notes
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 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!
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