Here is a quick reference guide to spacing lettuce:
- Looseleaf Lettuce – 2-4 inches apart
- Butter Lettuce – 6-8 inches apart
- Crisp Head Lettuce – 12-18 inches apart
What is the best way to grow lettuce?
Grow lettuces in full sun in moisture-retentive soil. Early and late sowings may need protection against cold, using cloches, plastic tunnels or horticultural fleece. You can also grow lettuces in containers and growing bags, but be sure to water regularly. Sow seeds thinly, 13mm (½in) deep, in rows 30cm (1ft) apart.
How to grow lettuce from seed to harvest?
Plant your seeds approximately 1 in (2.5 cm) apart. Dig a 4–6 in (10–15 cm) deep hole and place your seeds inside at about 1 in (2.5 cm) apart. Limit your seeds to 4 per pot to avoid overcrowding the lettuce as it grows. If you want to plant more than 4 seeds, prepare several pots ahead of time.
How long does it take for lettuce to grow?
What plants can grow in 2 weeks?
- Garden Cress: 14 Days. In as little as two weeks, you can harvest garden cress, a peppery, tangy flavored herb.
- Arugula: 2 to 3 Weeks.
- Pea Shoots: 2 – 3 weeks.
- Radish: 3 Weeks.
- Mizuna: 3 Weeks.
- Green Onions: 3 Weeks.
- Baby Kale: 3 – 4 Weeks.
- Baby Bok Choy: 3 – 4 Weeks.
How often do you water lettuce seedlings?
Until then, a few pointers may assist your best efforts:
- Place a humidifier near the plastic tray to help foster strong seedling growth.
- Rest the tray on top of a heated seed mat.
- Use a plant mister a couple times a day or pour a small amount of water into each peat pot, The Home Depot says. ...
- Pour a little water into the bottom of the tray, until the peat pots soak it up.
How far apart should loose leaf lettuce be?
Loose-leaf lettuce: Plant or thin to 4 inches apart. Romaine (cos) and butterhead (loose-head, Bibb, Boston) lettuce: Plant or thin to 8 inches apart. Crisphead (iceberg) lettuce: Plant or thin to 16 inches apart.
Can lettuce be planted close together?
Plant onions and lettuce close together to maximize your garden space. Parsnips. As a root crop, parsnips utilize underground space to grow their produce, while lettuce plants have very shallow roots and grow their crop above the soil. Plant parsnips and lettuce close together to maximize your garden space.
What month do you plant lettuce?
Lettuce is a cool weather crop and is best grown in spring and fall. The seeds germinate in temperatures as low as 40 F (4 C) but its ideal germination and growing temperature is between 60 and 65 F (16 to 18 C).
How do you plant leaf lettuce?
1:414:07How To Plant & Grow Lettuce - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe general rule for planting is that seed should always be planted three times as deep as theMoreThe general rule for planting is that seed should always be planted three times as deep as the diameter of the seed. Since lettuce seeds are so tiny.
What happens if you plant lettuce too close?
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) takes up little space and can be edible within a week of planting. However, overcrowding lettuce or planting it in areas with little light can lower your crop yield. There are a few tips to know to grow lettuce in the garden or indoors so as not to waste your time, effort and money.
What should you not plant beside lettuce?
There are, of course, some vegetables that may not be good lettuce plant companions. These are basically everything in the cabbage family, such as: Broccoli. Brussels sprouts....These companion plants for lettuce include:Beets.Carrots.Parsnips.Strawberries.Radishes.Onions.Asparagus.Corn.More items...•
Does lettuce need sun or shade?
full sunSoil, Planting, and Care Although lettuce grows fastest in full sun, it is one of the few vegetables that tolerates some shade. In fact, a spring crop often lasts longer if shaded from the afternoon sun as the season warms. You can grow lots of lettuce in a small space, even a container.
How often should I water lettuce?
Lettuce has shallow roots, so plants need consistent watering. Check at least twice a week and water if the soil is dry down to 1 inch deep. Containers of lettuce need to be watered more frequently than garden beds, especially in the summer.
What is the easiest lettuce to grow?
Loose leaf lettuceLoose leaf lettuce, which refers to varieties that don't form any type of head, is considered the easiest to grow. It matures in 40-45 days, but no need to wait that long to enjoy it! You can start thinning (and eating the trimmings) in as little as three weeks.
How many lettuce seeds do you plant in one hole?
2-3Determine how many seeds to plant - Outside, sow the seeds in rows 12-18" apart. Indoors, plant one per hole for fresh seeds, or 2-3 per hole if they're old. Plant the seeds - Sprinkle the seeds over the top of the garden soil or indoor trays, or plant them no more than 1/4" deep.
How do you pick leaf lettuce so it keeps growing?
2:317:24How to Harvest Lettuce so it Keeps on Growing & Wash & Store ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIn as long as you keep up with pinching off the outer leaves. The lettuce will continue to grow.MoreIn as long as you keep up with pinching off the outer leaves. The lettuce will continue to grow.
Does lettuce need a trellis?
Trellis can support vines & shade lettuce; see 3 examples from Lockwood's community garden. You can provide support for vining vegetables such as squash or cucumbers, while at the same time providing shade for lettuce, which likes cooler temperatures, with a simple trellis.
How far apart should lettuce be grown in hydroponics?
Some lettuces grown in hydroponic systems are placed much closer together. Because the roots don’t have to compete for nutrients, they don’t require the same amount of space. Crisp head varieties are grown as close as 4 inches apart in hydroponic tables.
What is the most difficult lettuce to grow?
Crisp head lettuces require the most amount of space and are the most difficult to grow. These varieties need extra care in order to produce the firm yet mild tasting heads that are often on grocery store shelves. Giving each plant the room it needs to be as healthy and robust as possible is essential.
Why is lettuce grown in containers?
Lettuce is popular to grow in containers because it can be packed closely together. As you harvest the outer leaves of looseleaf and butter lettuces, the plant continues to produce from a central crown. This feature allows you to keep harvesting all season long, and as you do this you’re also creating more space for the new leaves to grow into.
Can you thin loose leaf lettuce?
Looseleaf Lettuce. Many gardeners don’t thin looseleaf lettuces. They are often harvested young, and multiple times in a season reducing their chances of getting fungus or mold. As starts grow the weaker ones will die out naturally providing space for stronger plants.
Can butter lettuce be packed together?
Butter lettuce will form semi-firm heads if given the space to do so. You can pack them together and treat them as a looseleaf lettuce, or space them out like you would a heading lettuce and grow them larger.
How much space between lettuce leaves?
Lettuce spacing in the garden or in containers depends on the variety, according to Bonnie Plants. Most require a minimum of 6 inches between neighboring lettuce. Leaf lettuce can be tucked under tall plants and still thrive. Larger varieties of lettuce, such as ...
How to grow lettuce in a garden?
To grow lettuce in the garden, make sure that the native soil is improved. Add several inches of aged compost or a rich fertilizer to the existing garden bed. Blood meal, composted manure and cottonseed meal are good for fertilizing soil to meet the needs of the lettuce .
How to get rid of leggy lettuce?
Pull lettuce plants that are past their prime. A lettuce plant with milky sap and an elongated stem with seeds will have bitter-tasting leaves.
How tall does lettuce need to be to grow?
Leaf lettuce can be tucked under tall plants and still thrive. Larger varieties of lettuce, such as heads of romaine, can require up to 18 inches between each sprawling, leafy plant.
Can lettuce be grown indoors?
However, overcrowding lettuce or planting it in areas with little light can lower your crop yield. There are a few tips to know to grow lettuce in the garden or indoors so as not to waste your time, effort and money .
Can you plant lettuce seeds in containers?
Lettuce Spacing in the Garden. The tiny seeds can be sown directly into the outdoor garden bed or in containers. As the seeds grow, they need to be thinned out, or they may become leggy and weak. Be liberal with the first planting of seeds.
How far apart should I plant lettuce?
As a general rule, though, space heading lettuces at least 10 inches apart. Some varieties will call for 18 inches and others only 8 inches. It depends on how susceptible they are to various fungi and disease. Because you’ll be spacing crisp heads so far apart, there is bound to be bare soil between each head.
How close can lettuce plants be to each other?
These lettuce plants can be as close as 3 inches from each other. You will be making room toward the bottom when you harvest the leaves allowing for adequate airflow. Plus, developing a head isn’t your goal with leaf harvesting.
How many inches of lettuce per head?
Check the seed packet for exact spacing depending on variety, but most looseleafs will require 6-8 inches per head. Remember that lettuce enjoys some shade, and it likes the soil around it to be cool. Packing them closer allows them to shade and cool each other.
Why is it important to space lettuce?
Lettuce Spacing. It's important to give plants the space they need to grow large, healthy vegetables. Lettuce is a little tricky to space only because there are so many options. From baby greens to looseleaf to heading varieties, each style will be spaced differently.
Key timings
Lettuces can usually be sown between the months of March and September, according to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
What types of lettuce can you grow?
Many will opt to grow hearting lettuces and there are a variety of lettuces to choose from in this group.
How far apart should you plant lettuce?
Gardeners’ World advises planting lettuce at a depth of 1cm in a trench, 15cm apart and allowing 30cm between rows.
How can you grow salad leaves?
Salad leaves are different from hearting lettuces, but they are also very easy to grow in the garden.
How many inches between lettuce plants?
Romaine and butterhead lettuce seedlings require 6 to 8 inches between each plant. Removed seedlings can be transplanted or eaten as delicious, tender microgreens. Head lettuce is usually grown from seeds started indoors during warm weather for a fall garden.
How to grow lettuce in a cool climate?
Once days become cooler, the shade can be removed to give plenty of sunlight to young lettuce plants. Lettuce grows best in loose, cool soil with good drainage. The addition of organic materials, such as compost or manure, will increase drainage, provide essential nutrients and improve your lettuce growing conditions.
How long does it take for Romaine lettuce to grow?
Romaine, also known as cos, forms tall, tight bundles of thick, sweet lettuce leaves. Reaching up to 20 inches tall, most romaine lettuces take 60 to 80 days to harvest. The extended growing season works because romaine is able to grow without bolting in the warm summers.
What is the best lettuce to grow?
Leaf lettuce varieties are the easiest lettuces to grow. Although many people assume red leaf lettuce is grown differently, growing red leaf lettuce is exactly the same as growing green lettuce. You can grow leaf lettuce in rows for nice bundles of loose leaf lettuce, or you can sow it thickly in a garden bed or container for harvest as young, tender lettuce. By harvesting leaf lettuce through trimming it a few inches above the soil, you can get two to three harvests from one planting. Popular cultivars include Red Sails, Tango and Slobolt.
What is butterhead lettuce?
Butterhead lettuce var ieties produce tightly folded heads of tender lettuce leaves. The middle leaves are often self-blanching to a delicate white color. Named after the subtle butter flavor, this mild lettuce adds a sweet touch to salads. Try Ermosa, Esmeralda or Nancy in your lettuce garden.
What is the most widely planted salad vegetable in the United States?
Growing Lush, Green, Crisp Lettuce. You might not be surprised to find out that the most widely planted salad vegetable in the United States is lettuce. As the foundation of your salad and your garden, lettuce is an ideal garden vegetable. You can tuck it into small areas, it grows easily and it loves cool weather.
Why is my lettuce curling?
If you notice your lettuce beginning to brown and curl, it could be suffering from a physiological condition known as tipburn. Tipburn is often seen on lettuce when moisture is not consistent.
What temperature should lettuce be in?
All lettuces are considered cool season crops and perform best in temperatures ranging from 50 to 70°F. Once temperatures reach 80°F and nights become warm, plants are known to bolt and begin to flower.
How long does it take for lettuce to germinate?
Expect germination to occur within 7 to 10 days. Since lettuce seeds are so small, it will be a challenge not to sow too many. Once seedlings are a couple of inches tall, thin them to about 4 to 8 inches apart, depending on the variety. A couple of weeks later, direct sow another batch.
What are some pests that eat lettuce leaves?
Diatomaceous earth or finely ground eggshells sprinkled around plants can take care of cutworms and other soft-bodied pests, like slugs. Rabbits, squirrels, and deer also love to munch on young lettuce leaves.
How to prevent bolting lettuce?
Plant and harvest wisely to prevent bolting. If your goal is to grow leaf lettuce throughout the summer, choose heat tolerant varieties. Also, interplant lettuce with tall summer crops like peppers, corn, and tomatoes, to provide extra shade. Watering adequately is especially important for a productive crop.
How to keep aphids out of lettuce?
Keep an eye out for aphids, which will hide on the undersides of leaves. Although populations can grow fast and seemingly come out of nowhere, aphids are easily controlled with the firm, frequent blast of a hose. Planting onions or chives amongst lettuce is another great option to deter pests such as aphids.
What is leaf lettuce?
Leaf lettuce refers to varieties that don’t produce any type of head. They are easier to grow than other varieties – including romaine, butterhead, and crisphead – and produce multiple harvests throughout the season. Homegrown lettuce is also more nutritious and flavorful than anything you will find at the grocery store.
How to get rid of weeds in garden?
Prepare the soil a couple of weeks before planting garden crops. Once weeds begin to appear, lightly cultivate the soil so as to uproot the weeds, but not so heavily that new weed seeds are brought to the soil’s surface and given a chance to germinate. This method dramatically reduces the presence of weeds.
