GO BACK TO ALL GROW GUIDES

Depth to Plant
Spacing Between Plants
Spacing Between Rows
Days to Germinate (Sprout)
Germination
Soil Temp
Planting Season
_________
Plant Height
No. of Plants per sq. ft.
Soil Requirements

Shop Lettuce Seeds
0.25 inches deep

Space plants about 6" apart

Loose leaf lettuce can be planted very close together.

Make rows about 12 - 18" apart

7 - 14 days 40F - 70F Spring
Summer Fall
Appx. 12" tall 4 plants per sq. ft. Prefers soil with pH levels of 6.5 - 7.5.



Cultivation & History (source)

About Lettuce

Lettuce can be grown practically anywhere. Lettuce it is a cool-season vegetable, with an ideal temperature of 50-60 degrees. It does poorly in hot weather, and is tolerant to some frost and light freezes. The leafy types mature quickly and are more suited for warm climates. Cos is also more heat tolerant. It will prefer a little shade during the warmer part of the season. It can be grown year round with proper varieties, and some additional winter protection. Lettuce will generally grow best in the spring and fall seasons.

Lettuce doesn't do well in very acidic soils, and some say the pH shouldn't be lower than 6.5. A rich, muck "celery" soil is excellent for lettuce, but the crop will also do well in average garden soil. The best crops are grown in soil that is deeply enriched with well-rotted manure and is well-fertilized before planting, especially with high nitrogen (leaf-stimulating) fertilizers such as 10-8-4, cottonseed meal, or blood meal.

Lettuce is about 95 percent water. It develops rapidly if the growing season is cool and moist. Head lettuce forms a tight, compact cabbage head from a dense rosette of leaves. Bibb develops a loose head of broad succulent leaves with superb flavor. Leaf lettuce has loose crispy or curly leaves that develop from a basal growing point. Cos and romaine also develop from a basal growing point, but the leaves are oblong and grow upright.

When to Plant

Early spring in regions where summers are hot, and again in late summer for a fall crop. Head lettuce, especially, requires a long, cool growing season, and seed is usually started 6 weeks ahead. Transplants can be purchased. When sowing leaf lettuce, rows can be made by mixing several varieties. As the crop wanes, a second sowing can be made or else it can wait until late summer, for fall. During hot weather, sow lettuce in partial shade, as it doesn't do well in the heat, and use heat-resistant varieties.

How to Plant

Seed should be sown thinly in rows 1 foot apart; for leaf types, thin plants to 2-3 inches apart, then thin again by pulling every other plant when half grown. This will encourage thickly developed plants. For head, Bibb, and cos types, space rows 18 inches apart, plants 8-10 inches apart. Closer spacing results in smaller heads, which may be preferable for small families. Specialty growers are spacing lettuce very close for selling baby lettuces, a rapidly growing produce market.

 

CONTINUE SHOPPING

Browse through hundreds of different varieties

📙 SEED CATALOG {A - Z}
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

ENTER THE SEED SHOP ➜

ON SALE NOW UNTIL MIDNIGHT

SHOP 🔥 DAILY DEALS
Lavender, English - SeedsNow.com
Lavender, English
Sale priceFrom $1.50
Chamomile, German.
Chamomile, German
Sale priceFrom $1.50
Cabbage - Savoy Perfection - SeedsNow.com
Cabbage - Savoy Perfection
Sale priceFrom $1.50
Broccoli - Early Purple - SeedsNow.com
Broccoli - Early Purple
Sale priceFrom $1.50
Radish - Purple Plum - SeedsNow.com
Radish - Purple Plum
Sale priceFrom $1.50
Pepper (Sweet) - Cubanelle - SeedsNow.com
Pepper (Sweet) - Cubanelle
Sale priceFrom $1.50
Onion - Red Burgundy (Short Day) - SeedsNow.com
Onion - Red Burgundy (Short Day)
Sale priceFrom $1.50
Cucumber - Marketmore - SeedsNow.com
Cucumber - Marketmore
Sale priceFrom $1.25
Leek - Giant Musselburgh - SeedsNow.com
Leek - Giant Musselburgh
Sale priceFrom $1.00
Gourd - Crown of Thorns - SeedsNow.com
Gourd - Crown of Thorns
Sale priceFrom $1.00
Cabbage - Brunswick - SeedsNow.com
Cabbage - Brunswick
Sale priceFrom $1.00

FEATURED BLOG POSTS & ARTICLES

VIEW ALL BLOG POSTS
Your Guide to Gardening Through all 4 Seasons

Your Guide to Gardening Through all 4 Seasons

As the weather becomes consistently cold (in late October and early November, in the upper Midwest), you can work at preparing your garden for winter. There are several aspects to winter preparation.
How to Deal with Squash Bugs

How to Deal with Squash Bugs

Squash bugs can destroy crops and are quite the nuisance. Check your squash plants daily for signs of squash bugs and their eggs.   What to look...
How to Save 🍅 Tomato Seeds

How to Save 🍅 Tomato Seeds

There are several ways that you can save your heirloom tomato seeds, but here are two of the most popular techniques.  Fermentation Method: Choos...
How To Tell When 🍆 Eggplant Is Ripe

How To Tell When 🍆 Eggplant Is Ripe

Eggplant is a versatile fruit often used in Italian dishes such as ratatouille, caponata, and lasagna. Eggplant easily absorbs the flavors of wh...
Start these NOW for a fall garden!

Start these NOW for a fall garden!

Summer will soon be over but having a thriving vegetable garden doesn't have to end when summer does. With a little bit of planning, and p...
How Many Plants a 12″ Container?

How Many Plants a 12″ Container?

Here is a suggested number of plants that will grow successfully in a 12″ container. It would be a waste of money and time to start more seeds...
Why Won't My Root Veggies Grow?

Why Won't My Root Veggies Grow?

You’ve put in all the work, planted your root veggies with care and all season you’ve been eyeing their gorgeous leafy green tops and waited with a...
Seed Planting & Spacing Guide (printable)

Seed Planting & Spacing Guide (printable)

← GO BACK TO GROW GUIDES Here is a cheat sheet you can save to reference all of the planting and spacing specs for each of your seeds. Click on the...

CONTINUE LEARNING

CONTINUE SHOPPING

ENTER THE SEED SHOP ❱