Vegetable / Cool season
Lettuce
Cut it young, sow it often, and beat the heat
Plant out byMay 4zone 6
- Family
- Daisy (Asteraceae)
- Sun
- Part sun (5+ h)
- Difficulty
- Very easy
- Days to harvest
- 30-75 days
- Spacing
- 8 in apart, rows 12 in
- Pot size
- 2 gal pot (great in pots)
- Frost
- Half-hardy
- Start
- Either
- Water
When to plant
Showing .
Averages for a typical garden in the region. Your local frost dates may differ by 2-3 weeks, check a local source.Too late this year (try fall)
In zone 6, start seeds indoors Feb 23 to Mar 9; plant out Mar 23 to May 4; sow again for fall Aug 25 to Sep 8. Average last frost Apr 20, first fall frost Oct 20.
Units
Lettuce is the only crop I have picked in a winter coat and then lost to a heat wave three weeks later. It loves cool weather and will shrug off a light frost. Warm days are what end it, and they tend to arrive faster than the seed packet suggests.
Bolting is the problem nearly everyone meets. Once temperatures climb past about 70 degrees F and the days get long, the plant shoots up a tall stalk and the leaves turn bitter. You cannot reverse it. What helps is timing: sow outdoors 2 to 4 weeks before your last spring frost, choose slow-bolting varieties, and give plants afternoon shade as summer gets close. A spot behind the tomatoes or a strip of shade cloth buys a few extra weeks.
The good news is how little room it needs. Loose-leaf types can sit 4 inches apart, romaine and butterhead about 8, and big heading types more like 16. A window box or shallow pot works, since the roots stay near the surface. Baby leaves are ready in roughly a month, and a single box of mixed leaf lettuce can cover a few side salads a week. Slugs love the same cool, damp weather lettuce does, so check under the leaves after rain. Rabbits and groundhogs notice it too, so a low fence earns its keep. Fall is the second chance, and plenty of growers like it better than spring.
Things to consider
- Small sowings every two weeks give a steady supply. One big planting means a salad flood for ten days and then nothing. A short row at a time is easier to keep up with anyway.
- Heat and dry soil push bitterness. Water before the soil dries out, and pick in the morning while the leaves are crisp. Leaves cut in the afternoon wilt fast on the way to the kitchen.
- Aphids hide deep in the heart of the plant. Chives or garlic tucked between plants are a common barrier trick, and a hard spray of water knocks off the rest. Rinse picked heads well before they reach the bowl, since a few always hang on.
Good neighbours
Pests to watch for
AphidsSlugsCutworms
Questions about growing lettuce
Can lettuce grow in a shady spot?
It copes with part sun better than most vegetables, and roughly 5 to 6 hours of light is enough to grow well. In hot climates, afternoon shade slows bolting. Deep shade gives thin, weak plants, so a north wall with no direct sun is a poor bet.
When should I sow fall lettuce?
Direct sow about 6 to 8 weeks before your first fall frost. Light frost is no problem for established plants, and many growers think fall leaves taste sweeter. Check your local extension office for exact dates in your area. A row cover on cold nights can keep the harvest going a few weeks longer.
Is it better to cut the whole head or pick leaves?
Either way works, and it mostly depends on the type. Picking outer leaves keeps a loose-leaf plant going for weeks, as long as you leave the small center leaves alone. Cutting the whole plant about an inch above the soil often lets it regrow a smaller second crop, which is handy in a small pot.
Save this crop
Pin it to a garden board so it is there when planting time comes round.
Similar crops
Sources
General guidance for home gardens. Frost dates are averages for a zone or region; check a local source (in the US your county extension office) for local timing.