Lettuce is the ideal beginner crop: it grows fast, it can be sown for most of the year, and nothing beats the taste of a salad leaf picked minutes before eating. It is also the perfect crop for small spaces — a window box, a few pots or the gaps between slower vegetables will all grow lettuce.
Lettuce is a cool-season crop, and that is the one thing to understand about it: it loves spring and autumn and hates hot weather.
Lettuce at a glance
| Growing factor | What lettuce need |
|---|---|
| Sun | full sun |
| Soil pH | 6.0–7.0 |
| Days to germination | 7–10 |
| Days to maturity | 45–60 |
| Spacing | 8–12 inches |
| Water needs | moderate |
| Cold tolerance | hardy |
| Family | Asteraceae |
Starting seeds
This crop can be started indoors or sown direct, and either route works well. Indoors, sow in trays, cells or small pots and expect germination in 7–10 days; direct-sown seed goes into a prepared bed once conditions are right. Starting indoors buys a few weeks of season and steadier germination, while direct sowing is simpler and avoids transplant shock.
Shorter-season gardens in the cooler zones gain the most from starting indoors, while warmer zones can usually direct-sow with confidence. Our seed-starting calculator works out indoor sowing dates from your frost dates. Zones 11–13 are frost-free, so sowing windows there are about heat and rain instead — check your local extension service.
Lettuce can be started indoors or sown direct, and most gardeners sow it direct where it is to grow. Sow thinly in shallow drills and thin seedlings to their proper spacing — crowded lettuce stays small and is more prone to rot. For a steady supply, sow a short row every couple of weeks rather than a whole bed at once, and our seed-starting calculator can help with timing.
Transplanting and planting out
Lettuce transplants easily if you start it indoors, and a few weeks of indoor growth gives you a head start in early spring. Plant out young, sturdy seedlings at their full spacing and water them in well. In hot weather, give new transplants a little shade for the first day or two until their roots settle in.
Space plants 8–12 inches apart — crowding is one of the commonest causes of small harvests. Our plant-spacing calculator works out how many plants fit your bed.
Soil and feeding
Lettuce grow best in rich, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. Dig in compost before planting: it improves heavy soil, helps light soil hold moisture, and feeds the soil life that feeds your plants. Aim for a soil pH of 6.0–7.0 — a simple soil test will tell you where you stand, and garden lime or sulfur can nudge pH up or down over a season, so test before you amend rather than guessing.
Feed lightly and steadily rather than in one heavy dose: too much fast nitrogen late in the season pushes leafy growth at the expense of the part you eat. Our fertiliser calculator works out amounts for your bed size, and the soil-volume calculator tells you how much mix a new bed needs.
Watering
Water needs are moderate: keep the soil evenly moist, watering deeply when the top inch or two dries out. Deep, infrequent watering builds deeper roots than a daily sprinkle.
Water at the base of the plant, in the morning, so the leaves dry quickly and the water reaches the roots. Our watering calculator gives a starting point for your bed size, and the watering schedule generator can build a routine around it. A mulch layer cuts evaporation and keeps moisture even.
Sunlight and temperature
Lettuce need full sun — a spot that gets sun for most of the day. Our sunlight calculator can check your spot.
This crop is rated hardy for cold tolerance, so it stands up to frost and even light freezes, and it is at its best in the cool seasons. In Zones 11–13, which are frost-free, heat rather than cold is the limit — grow it in the cooler months, with afternoon shade in the hottest weather. Our hardiness-zone finder will confirm your zone, and the frost-date calculator gives you the frost dates to plan around.
Pests and diseases
The pests and diseases most often reported on lettuce are aphids, slugs, cutworms. Healthy, well-watered plants resist attack better than stressed ones, and rotating beds so the Asteraceae family does not repeat in the same spot helps keep soil-borne problems down.
- Aphids — small sap-sucking insects on new growth; wash off with a strong jet of water and encourage ladybirds.
- Slugs — chew ragged holes in leaves at night; water in the morning so the surface dries by evening.
- Cutworms — caterpillars that chew through young stems at soil level; a cardboard collar around each stem protects it.
Inspect plants weekly, especially leaf undersides, and act early. Our pest-identifier helper can help identify what you are seeing.
Companion plants
Good companion plants for lettuce include:
- Carrots — use a different soil layer, so no competition
- Radishes — come up fast and mark the row
- Strawberries — a low ground cover around taller plants
- Cucumbers — fill space at ground level
- Onions — their scent is said to confuse pests
Our companion-planting finder can suggest more pairings for your bed plan.
Harvesting
Pick lettuce as soon as the leaves are big enough to eat — there is no need to wait. Loose-leaf types can be picked leaf by leaf from the outside, and the plant keeps producing for weeks, which is the best way to grow lettuce in a small space. Head types should be cut whole once the head feels firm. Pick in the morning, when leaves are crisp, and use them the same day if you can.
Expect the crop to be ready about 45–60 days after sowing, though weather and variety shift that window by a week or two either way. Our harvest-date calculator works out your expected harvest date from your sowing date, and the vegetable-yield estimator can estimate how much a bed should produce.
Common problems and fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Bolting — plants shooting up to flower | hot weather or long days | Lettuce bolts when it gets hot, so sow it for spring and autumn and choose a shadier spot for summer sowings. |
| Bitter leaves | heat or water stress | Keep the soil evenly moist and harvest young leaves. |
| Slugs eating seedlings | damp, sheltered conditions | Water in the morning so the surface dries by evening, keep the bed clear of debris, and protect young plants until they are established.. |
Bolting — plants shooting up to flower
Lettuce bolts when it gets hot, so sow it for spring and autumn and choose a shadier spot for summer sowings.
Bitter leaves
Keep the soil evenly moist and harvest young leaves.
Slugs eating seedlings
Water in the morning so the surface dries by evening, keep the bed clear of debris, and protect young plants until they are established..
Frequently asked questions
When should I plant lettuce?
Sow once the soil is workable in spring — this crop is rated hardy for cold tolerance, so it can go in early. For zone-specific timing, see zone 3 or zone 6, and check your local extension service for the dates that fit your area.
How long do lettuce take to grow?
Lettuce take 45–60 days from sowing to maturity, and seed germinates in 7–10 days. Weather and variety shift the harvest window by a week or two, so judge readiness by look and feel rather than the calendar alone.
How far apart should I plant lettuce?
Space plants 8–12 inches apart — that is the room a mature plant needs, and crowding means poor airflow and small harvests. Our plant-spacing calculator works out how many fit your bed.
How do I keep lettuce going all summer?
Sow little and often, give summer sowings some afternoon shade, and keep the soil consistently moist. Loose-leaf types cope better with heat than head types, and a sowing made in late summer often gives the best autumn crop of all.