Growing Lettuce

lactuca sativa : Asteraceae / the daisy family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
P P P P P       P P P P

(Best months for growing Lettuce in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • 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

05 Nov 23, (USA - Zone 3a climate)
Keep soil moist but not soggy wet. A light watering each day. Even twice a day.
29 Oct 23, Getz (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi I just planted lettuce, after few days some leaves come out but the day after disappeared! I notice lots of little lizards, do the lizards could eat my lettuce? Cheers Getz
05 Nov 23, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Check for birds also.
22 Oct 23, Jordan (USA - Zone 9b climate)
ive tried growing lettuce (romaine mostly) in spring here in california central valley, it does not like it at all. bolts every time. trying again in winter right now, will update.
11 Feb 24, Daniel (USA - Zone 9a climate)
red leaf lettuce does better in the cooler months than does green leaf lettuce. I usually plant my green leaf & red leaf in late March on my south-facing patio so the frost cannot get to it. the red leaf will usually bot first in May or early June but my green leaf will go until it gets really hot in July or August.
24 Oct 23, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
You grow different kinds of lettuce in the cooler months to the hotter months.
18 Oct 23, lukas (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
What is the best size for a letuce seedling to be planted out in the garden.
22 Nov 23, (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
When they have 6-8 new leaves. Keep them protected from the sun for a couple of days. Plant in the late afternoon.
11 May 23, Kim Shallcross (USA - Zone 9b climate)
Can it get too hot in May for lettuce, mine seems to have turned bitter and is bolting
14 Jun 23, Wendy (USA - Zone 7b climate)
You bet! Lettuce doesn't like the temperature to be above 80 degrees. Mine is bolting and bitter now too ( June in 7b)
Showing 11 - 20 of 256 comments

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. GardenGrow 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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