Growing guide

How to Grow Lettuce

The fastest, easiest cool-season green — perfect for succession sowing.

The basics

What lettuce need

• Sun — Full sun to partial shade (afternoon shade in heat)
• Water — Even, frequent — shallow roots dry out fast
• Harvest in 30–60 days
• Difficulty — Very easy

When to plant

Time it from your frost date

• Start indoors: 4–6 weeks before last frost (optional)
• Transplant: As soon as soil is workable
• Direct sow: 2–4 weeks before last frost, and again in late summer for fall
• Best in Zones 2–11 (cool seasons)

How to plant

Three steps to a strong start

• 1. Surface-sow seed and barely cover — light aids germination.
• 2. Succession-sow a short row every 2 weeks for a continuous supply.
• 3. Keep soil consistently moist; lettuce is shallow-rooted.

Common problem

Bolting (going to seed)

Triggered by heat and long days — sow heat-tolerant types and harvest before summer.

Common problem

Bitter leaves

Heat stress and bolting; pick young and keep well watered.

Harvest

Picking lettuce right

For leaf types, pick outer leaves and let the center keep growing (cut-and-come-again). Harvest in the cool of the morning when leaves are crisp.

Gardeners ask

Can lettuce grow in shade?

Yes — it’s one of the best vegetables for partial shade, which actually helps it last longer in warm weather.

Keep growing

Get the full Lettuce guide

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