Lettuce rewards a beginner's first season. The seeds are sown directly in the garden, plants are ready faster than almost any other vegetable, and the cut-and-come-again harvest style means one planting feeds you for weeks. The challenge is almost entirely about temperature: lettuce wants cool weather and revolts in heat. Understand that, and the rest is straightforward.
When to plant lettuce
Lettuce is a cool-season crop that tolerates light frost. You can sow seeds directly in the garden as soon as the soil has thawed and is workable, typically 4 to 6 weeks before your average last spring frost date.
For a fall crop, count backward from your average first fall frost: sow seeds about 8 to 10 weeks before that date (accounting for days to maturity plus a buffer). Fall lettuce often tastes better than spring lettuce because the cool weather lingers rather than abruptly turning hot.
Succession-sowing every 2 to 3 weeks from your first spring sowing through early summer extends your harvest window. Pause during the hottest weeks, then resume in late summer for the fall crop. Succession planting is how you keep salad on the table continuously.
Site and soil
Lettuce needs full sun in spring and fall, at least 6 hours daily, but appreciates afternoon shade in warmer regions when temperatures climb. It is one of the few vegetables that can produce decently with as little as 3 to 4 hours of sun, making it a good candidate for partially shaded gardens.
Prepare the bed with compost worked in before planting. Lettuce roots are shallow and concentrated near the surface, so soil structure matters more for water retention than depth. Aim for a pH between 6.0 and 6.8. Avoid waterlogged spots; standing water invites damping off in young seedlings.
A raised bed is an easy way to get the loose, well-draining, organic-rich soil lettuce loves without amending heavy clay.
Spacing and sowing
Lettuce is almost always direct-sown. Transplants work but are rarely necessary because lettuce germinates quickly (7 to 14 days when soil is above 40 degrees F) and direct-seeding skips a step.
Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep. The seeds are tiny, so it is easy to oversow. Thin once seedlings are up, since crowded plants compete for moisture and airflow and are more prone to downy mildew.
Spacing by type
Leaf lettuce (baby leaf harvest)
5 inches apart
Leaf lettuce (full-size harvest)
6 to 10 inches apart
Butterhead and romaine
10 to 12 inches apart
Crisphead (iceberg)
12 to 15 inches apart
Use the spacing calculator to see how many plants fit your bed before you sow, especially for a small raised bed where wasting space adds up.
Rows can be as close as 12 inches for leaf types if you plan to harvest at baby-leaf stage. For full-size heads, allow 18 to 24 inches between rows.
Watering and feeding
Lettuce has shallow roots and dries out faster than deep-rooted crops. One inch of water per week is the baseline, but during warm or dry spells the soil dries more quickly and you may need to water more often. The key signal is soil moisture: if the top inch of soil is dry, water.
Water in the morning and aim at the soil, not the leaves. Wet foliage in cool evenings promotes downy mildew and gray mold. A soaker hose keeps the leaves dry automatically and is worth using in a bed you will tend all season. Consistent moisture is also the best defense against tipburn, a browning of leaf edges caused when dry spells are followed by rapid resumption of growth.
For feeding, a balanced fertilizer worked into the bed before planting is usually enough. If growth looks slow once plants are 4 inches tall, a light side-dressing of fertilizer (about 1 pound per 25 feet of row, per University of Minnesota Extension) will accelerate leaf production. Avoid over-fertilizing with nitrogen, which pushes lush growth but can intensify bolting in warm weather.
Common problems
What to watch for
Bolting
Elongated center stalk, bitter taste. Caused by heat and long days. Harvest immediately if you see a center stalk forming. Plant [bolt-resistant varieties](/plants/lettuce) and time for cool weather. See [bolting](/problems/bolting).
Tipburn
Brown leaf edges on inner leaves. A calcium-uptake disorder triggered by moisture swings and rapid growth. Keep watering consistent. See [tipburn](/problems/tipburn).
Aphids
Soft-bodied insects clustered on undersides of leaves, sticky residue. Knock off with a strong water spray or use insecticidal soap. See [aphids](/problems/aphids).
Slugs
Ragged holes in leaves, silvery slime trails. Most active at night in cool, moist conditions. Hand-pick at dusk or use iron-phosphate bait. See [slugs](/problems/slugs).
Downy mildew
Yellow patches on upper leaf surface, gray-purple fuzz underneath. Improve airflow, avoid overhead watering, remove affected leaves. See [downy mildew](/problems/downy-mildew).
Leaf miners
Meandering white tunnels inside leaves. Floating row cover at planting time prevents the adult fly from laying eggs. Remove heavily infested leaves. See [leaf miners](/problems/leaf-miners).
Row cover does double duty for lettuce: it keeps leaf miners out, protects against late-frost damage, and can extend the season a few weeks in both spring and fall.
Harvesting
Lettuce offers the most flexible harvest of any vegetable. You can start cutting as early as you want, even at the baby-leaf stage (3 to 4 inches tall), or let plants develop to full size.
Three ways to harvest
Cut-and-come-again (leaf types)
Use scissors to cut outer leaves 1 inch above the crown. New leaves grow from the center, giving you multiple harvests from one plant. This is the best method for sustained production.
Full harvest (leaf and head types)
Cut the entire plant off just above the soil with a sharp knife. In warm weather, harvest before the center stalk elongates.
Successive thinning
As you thin overcrowded seedlings, eat the thinnings as microgreens or baby salad mix.
Harvest in the morning when leaves are hydrated and cool, before daytime heat wilts them. Refrigerate promptly; lettuce holds for about a week.
The moment you see the center stalk begin to elongate, harvest everything in that row immediately. Once bolting starts, bitterness develops fast and no amount of watering will reverse it. That is the signal to clear the bed and either replant for fall or move on to a summer crop.
When should I plant lettuce?
Direct-sow lettuce in spring as soon as the soil is workable, typically 4 to 6 weeks before your last frost date. For fall, count back 8 to 10 weeks from your first fall frost. Use the frost dates tool to find your dates, then the planting calendar for your ZIP to turn those into actual calendar windows.
Why is my lettuce bitter?
Bitterness is almost always a sign of heat stress and bolting. When temperatures stay above 75 degrees F, lettuce sends up a flowering stalk and the leaves turn bitter. Harvest as soon as you see the stalk elongating. Prevent it by planting in cool weather, choosing slow-bolt varieties, and providing afternoon shade in warm climates. See bolting for more.
How far apart should I plant lettuce?
Leaf lettuce grown for full-size harvest: 6 to 10 inches apart. Butterhead and romaine: 10 to 12 inches. Crisphead: 12 to 15 inches. For baby-leaf cut-and-come-again, you can sow more densely and thin to 4 to 5 inches. Use the spacing calculator to plan your bed.
Does lettuce need full sun?
Full sun (6 or more hours) produces the best growth, but lettuce tolerates partial shade better than most vegetables. In warmer climates or late spring, afternoon shade actually helps by slowing bolting. It is one of the better choices for a partially shaded bed.
Can I grow lettuce in a container?
Yes, and it performs well in containers. A pot at least 6 to 8 inches deep and wide enough for your plant spacing works well. Leaf types are better suited to containers than head types. Containers dry out faster than beds, so check moisture daily in warm weather. See container gardening for setup guidance.
Lettuce has a short season and rewards quick action: sow early, harvest cut-and-come-again to stretch the window, and clear the bed the moment bolting starts. Get that rhythm down and you will have fresh salad from spring through early summer and again from early fall through first frost. Pair it with spinach and kale for a full season of salad greens, or try it alongside radishes as a quick interplanting partner.