How to Grow Lettuce: A Beginner’s Guide
Whether you’re new to gardening, or looking to expand your growing skills, lettuce is one of the easiest, and most rewarding vegetables to plant! It is fast-growing, versatile, and a great crop to grow in the cooler seasons. I have also had great success growing all summer long in shadier areas or under tomatoes too! Lettuce is a great crop for raised beds, containers, or even tucked into flower borders, so no matter what gardening set up you have, lettuce is an option for you.
Why Grow Lettuce?
Lettuce is one of the most popular salad greens – it grows quickly, doesn’t need a lot of space, and gives you multiple harvests with the right care. There’s nothing better than making a salad with ingredients fresh from the garden if you ask me!
Health Benefits of Lettuce
Hydration: Lettuce is over 90% water, making it a refreshing choice that helps keep you hydrated.
Nutrient-Rich: Depending on the variety, lettuce can be a good source of fiber, vitamins A, K, and C, and folate.
Low in Calories: It’s great for anyone looking to eat healthy, lose weight, or add more greens to their meals.
Gut-Friendly: The fibre content supports digestion and overall gut health.
When to Start Lettuce Seeds
Lettuce prefers the cooler weather, and can be grown in both spring and fall. Depending on your region and gardening style, you can start your lettuce seeds either indoors, or outdoors. Some varieties can tolerate hot summer days, choose shadier spots to grow.
Indoors: Start lettuce seeds indoors about 4–6 weeks before your last expected spring frost. Use seed-starting trays and a bright windowsill or grow light.
Outdoors: You can direct sow lettuce seeds into your garden as soon as the soil can be worked in early spring—often when daytime temps are in the 50s°F (10–15°C). You can plant in shadier areas late spring for a summer crop.
For fall planting, start seeds in late summer, about 6–8 weeks before your first frost. Direct sow lettuce at the end of August for a September harvest! Lettuce grows well into cooler months and can survive light frosts, especially under a row cover.
Tips for Planting Lettuce:
Soil: Lettuce grows best in loose, rich soil with good drainage. Mix in compost before planting!
Spacing:
Leaf lettuce or salad blends: Over seed in a row and thing every 2-3 inches.
Romaine or head lettuce: 10–12 inches apart
Sunlight: Full sun is ideal in spring but partial shade is also good, especially if you’re in a warmer climate and want to grow in the summer time. This will help to prevent bolting.
Water: Keep the soil consistently moist, especially in warmer weather. Lettuce has shallow roots and dries out quickly.
Once your seedlings have a few true leaves (around 3 inches tall), they’re ready to be transplanted outdoors if you started them inside.
Harvesting Lettuce
Lettuce matures quite quickly. Many varieties are ready to harvest in only 30–50 days. For baby greens, you can start harvesting even earlier.
Cut-and-Come-Again: Snip outer leaves and leave the inner ones to keep growing.
Full Harvest: Cut the whole head at the base when it's fully mature.
By planting a new batch of seeds every 2 weeks (succession planting), you can enjoy a steady supply of lettuce throughout the season.
The Benefits of Lettuce in Your Garden
Quick Turnaround: Because it grows fast, lettuce is perfect for filling gaps between slower-growing crops.
Companion Planting: Lettuce grows well with carrots, radishes, beets, tomatoes and onions. It can also be tucked between taller crops for efficient space use.
Weed Suppression: A dense planting of lettuce helps shade the soil, which can reduce weed growth.
Low Maintenance: Lettuce doesn't attract many pests, and with a little mulch and water, it’s happy to grow without much fuss.
Lettuce is one of the most beginner-friendly vegetables you can grow. If you’ve never grown anything before, this makes it a great option that is sure to thrive. It’s forgiving and grows quickly, providing you with fresh greens right outside your door. With just a little planning and care, you’ll be harvesting your own delicious lettuce in no time!
