Lettuce

Planting lettuce

Sow 2 to 4 weeks before the last frost or in late summer.

Planting details

• Provide afternoon shade as temperatures rise
• Spacing: 6 to 12 inches depending on head size
• Seed depth: about 1/8 inch

Growing requirements

Lettuce prefers cool weather, fertile soil, and steady moisture. Harvest outer leaves often to extend the crop.

Harvesting and care

Cut outer leaves first, or shear the plant an inch above the crown for cut-and-come-again regrowth. Harvest in the morning for the crispest leaves.

Common mistakes

• One big sowing instead of small successive plantings every 2 weeks
• Letting plants bolt in heat before harvesting, which turns leaves bitter
• Shallow, uneven watering, which stresses plants and concentrates bitterness

Companion plants

Radishes, carrots, and chives can share space with lettuce when taller plants do not block light.