Make a Garden
Bring on the rewarding venture of growing lettuce and savour a plethora of fresh leaves from vibrant greens to deep reds. This guide will show you how to grow lettuce, detailing essential care for lettuce plants to ensure they flourish, whether in pots or your garden. You'll learn the best practices for planting lettuce seeds and how to navigate the lettuce growing stages from seedlings to full heads. Enjoy the crisp taste of homegrown lettuce
For happy lettuce plants, choose a cool, north-facing bed with moist soil. Avoid hot spells for sowing as they can cause bolting and hinder germination. Prep the soil with lots of organic matter for a fine surface tilth. When direct sowing, make 1cm deep drills, watering them beforehand in warm weather, preferably in the evening. Sow seeds thinly, 2cm apart, and cover lightly with fine soil or compost. Expect germination in a few weeks, but guard the young from slugs and snails. Thin seedlings to 15-30cm apart, using thinnings as baby leaves. Alternatively, sow in modules or trays under cover, then transplant them on a cool, damp day, watering them gently in their new home.
Thin seedlings to 15-30cm apart.
Watering: Water lettuce plants often to avoid bolting. Protection: Watch out for slugs - you can use seaweed granules to deter them. Position: Lettuce prefers a bright, open position with good air circulation.
Sow seeds undercover in February or directly from March.
Continue sowing Lettuce at monthly intervals. Keep rows thinned and weeded. Water frequently.
Sow winter lettuce undercover and protect it from frosts.
Harvest protected salad leaves regularly.
Keep an eye out for greenflies on your lettuce seedlings; a quick squash keeps their numbers down. Mix in flowers to draw in friendly bugs like ladybirds. Underground, lettuce root aphids lurk, so keep them guessing with crop rotation. Slugs and snails? Start your lettuce indoors and set up traps—or go on a night hunt. For moulds and mildew, keep lettuce leaves dry and air flowing. Spot yellowed leaves? It might be a virus; remove these plants pronto and switch up your garden spots yearly to stay clear.
