Eating Garden

How to Grow Lettuce

Lactuca sativa

A fast, cool weather leaf crop that you can pick from for weeks. It is at its best in spring and autumn, and turns bitter in a hot, dry spell.

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At a glance

  • Difficulty

    Easy

    1 of 5 · More shovels, more care

  • Sunlight

    Part sun

    4 to 6 hours a day

  • Water

    Thirsty

  • First harvest

    50 to 70 days

    from sowing

  • Growing in a pot

    1 gal or bigger

  • Plant spacing

    5 to 12 in apart

More about this plant

Lettuce is the quickest reward in a first garden. Sow a short row every couple of weeks rather than one long row, keep it damp, and give it afternoon shade once the weather warms.

  • Grows for one season.
  • Can grow in raised beds, the open ground.
  • Fine in a small space.
  • A good one to grow together with children.
  • Ready to pick quickly.

Which kind of lettuce should I grow?

  • Loose leaf

    Fastest, and the most forgiving. Cut a few leaves at a time and it keeps going.

  • Butterhead

    Soft loose heads, ready in about 60 to 70 days.

  • Romaine (Cos)

    Upright crisp leaves; space these a little wider.

Make it your plan

Add your location for local planting datesAdd place

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What are you starting with?
Where will it grow?

Your plan, starting Nov 10, 2026

Estimated harvest: Dec 30, 2026 – Jan 19, 2027. Add your location to compare this date with local planting windows. Your chosen date stays the same.

Add your location to compare this date with local planting windows. Your chosen date stays the same.

Estimated first harvest

Dec 30, 2026 – Jan 19, 2027

Counted from sowing. Variety, plant age, weather, and care can change this estimate.

Whenever the leaves are big enough to eat. There is no single moment it becomes ready.

Cool and damp. It is happiest with nights around 50F and days no warmer than about 68F, and runs to seed in heat.

First, gather a few things

  • Lettuce seeds
  • A pot of at least 1 gallons, with drainage holes
  • Potting mix that drains well
  • A watering can or hose

Start or plant it

Follow the steps for the way you chose to start.

  1. Start here

    1. Sow into cool soil

    A quarter to half an inch deep, straight into the ground, as soon as the soil is workable in spring.

Water

Check the soil first. Heat, rain, and pots can change how often this plant needs water.

  1. 1. Check before you water

    Feel the top inch of soil. Water when it starts to dry, before the roots dry out.

  2. 2. Water the roots

    Water slowly at the base until the soil feels moist a few inches down. For a pot, water until a little runs out of the drainage holes.

    About an inch of water a week, and more in warm weather. A dry spell is the single commonest cause of bitter leaves.

Need help judging moisture? Read how to check the soil and water the roots.

If the plant looks unhappy

  • Too dry

    Leaves taste bitter, and a stalk shoots up from the centre of the plant.

    If the soil is dry, water deeply and check it again tomorrow.

  • Too wet

    Slimy outer leaves and grey mould in the heart.

    If the soil is wet, wait before watering again and check that excess water can drain away.

While it grows

Check on your plant and do these jobs as they come up.

  1. 1. Thin the seedlings

    To about five inches for baby leaves, or ten to twelve inches for full sized plants. Crowded lettuce stays small and bolts early.

  2. 2. Sow another short rowOptional

    Every ten to fourteen days. One long row gives you forty lettuces in a single week.

  3. 3. Shade it as the weather warmsOptional

    Afternoon shade buys you several weeks before it runs to seed.

Looking after it

  • FeedingAn occasional feed helpsA balanced feed worked in before sowing is usually enough; side dress once if growth stalls.
  • ThinningThin seedlings to 5 in apartCrowded seedlings stay small. Pull the weaker ones and keep the strongest.
  • MulchMulch keeps the soil cool and damp, which is what delays bolting.

Pick and store it

Use the plant's signs of readiness, then harvest gently.

  1. 1. Check if it is ready

    Whenever the leaves are big enough to eat. There is no single moment it becomes ready.

  2. 2. Pick it

    Take the outer leaves and leave the centre growing, or cut the whole plant off at or just above the soil surface.

  3. 3. Keep it fresh

    Wash, spin dry and keep in a bag in the fridge.

    Typical keeping time: 5 to 10 days.

You might pick about 8 to 16 oz per plant. Weather, variety, and care can change this amount.

More picking tips

  1. 1. Pick the outer leaves

    Take from the outside and leave the middle, and one plant will crop for weeks.

Common problems

  • Slugs and snails

    Can ruin the crop

    Look for: Ragged holes in leaves and silvery trails in the morning.

    What to do: Go out after dark with a torch and collect them. Beer traps work in a small bed.

    The single biggest cause of failed lettuce.

    How to prevent it next time

    Prevention: Water in the morning so the ground is drier at night. Clear hiding places near the bed.

  • Aphids

    Common, worth watching for

    Look for: Clusters on the tips and under leaves, sticky leaves, and ants running up the stems.

    What to do: Knock them off with a jet of water, or rub them off by hand. Insecticidal soap for a heavy attack.

    How to prevent it next time

    Prevention: Do not overfeed with nitrogen, which makes the soft growth they love. Leave a few flowers nearby for ladybirds.

  • Damping off

    Common, worth watching for

    Look for: A thin, dark, pinched stem right at the surface, and a seedling lying flat.

    What to do: There is no saving an affected seedling. Remove it, let the surface dry a little, and sow again.

    How to prevent it next time

    Prevention: Use clean trays and fresh compost, do not sow too thickly, and give seedlings air movement.

  • Grey mould

    Common, worth watching for

    Look for: Grey fuzz on ripening fruit, fading flowers or damp leaves, often where plant parts touch or stay wet.

    What to do: Remove affected fruit and leaves and put them in the bin, not the compost heap.

    Starts on the outer leaves in a wet spell.

    How to prevent it next time

    Prevention: Pick ripe fruit promptly, keep fruit off the soil, and give plants room.

Common mistakes

  • Sowing it all at once

    You get a glut and then nothing. Short rows every couple of weeks give you lettuce all season.

  • Letting it dry out

    Thirst, more than variety, is what makes lettuce bitter.

  • Sowing in high summer

    Lettuce germinates poorly in hot soil and bolts quickly. Spring and late summer are its seasons.

Companion plants for lettuce

Some of this is measured in trials and some is long-standing garden practice. Each note below says which it is.

Good together

Trials show a real benefit:

  • Sweet alyssumSweet alyssum grown with lettuce has been shown to reduce aphids by feeding the insects that eat them.Measured in trials

Extension programs recommend this pairing:

  • TomatoLettuce can grow under and between tomato plants, using ground the tomatoes have not filled yet.Recommended by extension programs
  • Bell PepperSow lettuce early, then plant peppers into the same bed; the lettuce is picked as the peppers fill in.Recommended by extension programs
  • CarrotShallow-rooted lettuce and deep-rooted carrots draw on different soil layers, so they can share a bed.Recommended by extension programs
  • Sweet cornFast lettuce can grow between widely spaced sweet corn and be picked before the corn shades it.Recommended by extension programs
How to choose companion plants

Questions about lettuce

Tap a question to see the answer.

Will lettuce grow where I live?

Cool and damp. It is happiest with nights around 50F and days no warmer than about 68F, and runs to seed in heat.

  • LightPart sunAbout 4 to 6 hours of direct sun a day.
  • ShadeHappy in shade
  • SeasonA cool season cropUsually grown in spring or fall.
  • TemperatureHappiest at 50 to 68 °FIt can survive 25 to 80 °F.
  • FrostSurvives a light frost
  • HeatStruggles in heat
  • AirNo strong preference
  • Hardiness zonesZones 2a to 11bZones describe winter cold only. They do not say when to plant.

What soil is best for lettuce?

  • Soil pH6.0 to 6.8A cheap test kit from a garden centre will tell you yours.
  • Soil it likesLoam, Silt
  • DrainageLikes ground that holds moisture
  • RichnessAverage ground is fine

Ground that holds a little moisture keeps the leaves sweet and slows bolting.

Before changing your soil, learn how to test soil acidity and understand the result.

When and how deep do I plant lettuce?

When to plant

Match these relative steps to your local seasons. Where frost applies, use the last freezing night in spring and the first in fall. In frost-free climates, follow trusted local seasonal guidance.

  • Sow outdoors from 4 weeks before your last spring frost to 2 weeks afterAs soon as the soil is workable.
  • Sow outdoors 10 to 13 weeks before your first fall frostAbout three months before your first fall frost, for an autumn crop.
When you can start picking
  • 4 to 12 weeks after your last spring frost
  • From 6 weeks before your first fall frost to 1 week after
  • Seeds usually sprout in 2 to 10 days.
  • Ready to pick about 50 to 70 days from sowing.
  • Picking lasts about 6 weeks.
  • For a steady supply, sow a few more every 12 days.

What you need

  • How to start itFrom seed or a young plantYou can sow it straight into the ground, or start it indoors first.
  • How deep to plant0.25 to 0.5 in
    Planting depth: 0.25 to 0.5 in below the soil surface. Drawing is not to scale.
  • How far apart5 to 12 inLeave 18 to 30 in between rows.
    Leave 5 to 12 in between plants and 18 to 30 in between rows. View from above; drawing is not to scale.
  • How deep the roots go6 to 12 inUseful when picking a pot or planning a raised bed.
    Roots reach 6 to 12 in below the soil surface. Scale in inches; root shape is a guide. The dotted line marks the shallow end of the range.
  • Pot size1 gal or bigger
    Choose a pot that holds 1 gal or more. Shape and plant size are a guide.

How far apart should lettuce be?

About five inches if you want baby leaves, and ten to twelve inches for full sized plants. Rows go eighteen to thirty inches apart.

What happens to lettuce through the year?

Measured from your first fall frost, because seasons differ from garden to garden. In frost-free climates, use trusted local seasonal guidance alongside these relative steps.

  1. Sow outdoors

    10 to 13 weeks before your first fall frost

  2. Picking

    from 6 weeks before your first fall frost to 1 week after

  3. Sow outdoors

    from 4 weeks before your last spring frost to 2 weeks after

  4. Picking

    4 to 12 weeks after your last spring frost

How do I give lettuce a better start?

Simple ways to help your lettuce grow, from the soil up.

  • Start with good soil

    Ground that holds a little moisture keeps the leaves sweet and slows bolting.

  • Give the soil a cover

    Mulch keeps the soil cool and damp, which is what delays bolting.

  • Make room to grow

    Thin seedlings to 5 inches apart.

  • Feed with care

    A balanced feed worked in before sowing is usually enough; side dress once if growth stalls.

Why has my lettuce gone bitter?

Heat or thirst. Lettuce is a cool weather plant: a dry spell or a hot week turns the leaves bitter and pushes up a flower stalk. Keep it watered and give it afternoon shade as summer arrives.

Can I pick lettuce more than once?

Yes. Take the outer leaves and leave the growing centre alone, and a single plant will crop for several weeks.

How do I stop lettuce bolting?

Keep it cool and damp, and stop relying on one sowing. Shade in the afternoon, mulch, water, and sow a fresh short row every ten to fourteen days.

Quick answers about lettuce

One question each, answered first, with the source named.

  • When to Plant Lettuce

    When to plant lettuce comes twice a year: early spring, and late summer about 3 months before your first fall frost.

Helpful gardening guides

Dig into the next thing you need, from starting a garden to getting watering right.

Starting your first garden? Choose your space and get it ready, then plan local planting times.

Browse all gardening guides

Also filed under: Vegetables

Where this came from

Advice varies with your climate and variety. Check the sources behind each section.

Sources & review dates
Light and weather
University of Minnesota Extension, Growing lettuce, endive and radicchio in home gardens · checked 2026-09-11 · Ideal temperature range
Planting
University of Minnesota Extension, Growing lettuce, endive and radicchio in home gardens · checked 2026-09-11 · Sowing depth, spacing by type, row spacing
Timing
University of Minnesota Extension, Growing lettuce, endive and radicchio in home gardens · checked 2026-09-11 · Spring and fall sowing windows
University of Illinois Extension, How to Grow Lettuce · checked 2026-09-11 · Days to maturity and succession interval
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Master Gardener Program, Time of planting · checked 2026-09-24 · Where frost is rare, cool-season crops are timed to months averaging 55°F to 75°F.
Common problems
University of Minnesota Extension, Growing lettuce, endive and radicchio in home gardens · checked 2026-09-11 · Slugs, snails, cutworms, flea beetles
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