How to grow them
Sow a short row every fortnight. In high summer, sow in the evening and in light shade: lettuce seed will not germinate above about 25°C. Loose-leaf kinds are the most forgiving and can be picked a few leaves at a time.
Salads and leaves
Lettuces
Sow a little, often. A whole packet sown at once gives forty lettuces in the same week.
- Buy as
- Seed
- Space
- 25cm between plants, 30cm between rows
- Position
- Sun or light shade
- Rotation
- Fits anywhere
- Difficulty
- Easy
The year
Sow indoors
Sow outdoors
Harvest
When to pick
Cut hearting lettuces when firm. Pick outer leaves from loose-leaf kinds and they regrow two or three times.
What goes wrong
Problems, and what to do
Slugs
The main problem. Water in the morning, not the evening, and check under nearby boards and pots.
Bolting
Going to seed in heat and drought. Water, and sow little and often.
Birds
Sparrows shred seedlings. Net them.
Good neighbours: Radishes, Carrots, Beetroot.