Growing Lettuce

lactuca sativa : Asteraceae / the daisy family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    S S S              
      T T T            
      P P P            

(Best months for growing Lettuce in Australia - tropical regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden, or start in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks.. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 46°F and 81°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 8 - 12 inches apart
  • Harvest in 8-12 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Carrots, Onions, Strawberries, Beets, Brassicas, Radish, Marigold, Borage, Chervil, Florence fennel, leeks.
  • Avoid growing close to: Parsley, Celery

Your comments and tips

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30 Jan 13, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi Kate! What a great idea. My slight adaptation is I am not trying too raise great quantities so I put two sets in each ziplock bag and tuck a plastic marker tag inside each of sets saying what it is (with a Chinagraph pencil - they don't wash off) and the date when started. Regards, John
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26 Jan 12, Trev (Australia - temperate climate)
During germination you may need to keep them iout of sunlight. I start mine in the shade completely. They only need water to get started. You can start giving them some sun when the leaves appear.
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19 Jan 12, rob (Australia - temperate climate)
the only thing that i can think of is the amount of sun that the beds are getting and the seeds need to be kept moist to germinate
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28 Nov 12, Jim (Australia - temperate climate)
Try covering the seeds with 4 or 5 layers of newspaper and watering the paper to keep them moist and dark.
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03 Mar 12, gary ellard (Australia - temperate climate)
try putting hessian bags over the area where the seeds are planted and keep moist . this will work for nearly all planted seeds and they will germinate a lot quicker than stated on the packet. YOU MUST KEEP THE HESSIAN WET/DAMP.
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30 Dec 11, tammy (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I have grown letuces for the first time and they are growing really well BUT each lettuce has 2 or 3 heads on it. There is the main one in the middle and they all either have another one or 2 heads growing off the side. they are beautiful and firm. IS THIS NORMAL, i have really good brown dirt in yard and added a bag of organic animal manure to soil 2 weeks before planting.
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04 Dec 11, Simon Adelaide Hills (Australia - temperate climate)
I have planted Cos lettuce for the past two years while they grow well they do not seen to develop a good heart. They are in good sun for 3/4 of the day in well draining soil. The soil was prepared with home compost and pea strall, any thoughts please
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12 Dec 11, Randy (Australia - temperate climate)
Cos lettuce don't develop a heart like eg iceberg lettuce. Just keep taking leaves from the outside as it continues to grow.
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27 Nov 11, katy (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Hi, I planted 4 lettuces 9 weeks ago and they have grown into great little bunches. I pulled some of the other day to put in a sandwich and it was terrible bittery....help!! they are only planted next to tomatoes..
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13 Dec 11, Tracey (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Katy 9 weeks is a long time for them to only produce little bunches. For mild sweet flavour lettuce need to be grown fast - that is, plenty of water and plenty of available nutrients in the soil, including plenty of available nitrogen. Otherwise they can be quite bitter. Is it possible they got too dry or that the soil was not amended before they went in? Fortnightly feeding with something like worm tea can help if you're growing in containers or still building up your soil. Lettuce also tends to become bitter if it is going to seed, but if that's the problem you would be able to see the central flower stalk forming.
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Showing 121 - 130 of 196 comments
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I live on Central Coast and grow lettuce through late autumn to late winter. I raise them in seed trays or scatter them in the garden as soon as the last really hot day has gone by and temperatures are no more than 35 degrees c or below. When I put them straight in the garden I scatter seeds over small area and cover with seed raising mix. I keep them moist with a gentle watering can. When 5cm tall I trans-plant them in to another bed. You could also use this method in flat seed raising trays and a spray bottle. By using sugar cane mulch in the ground surrounding the plants (not touching their stems!) I keep them moist. I also water every to every second day as the weather cools down. My suggestions would be scatter lightly oven baked ground eggshells or hair clippings around the plants to deter snails. if they become a problem. Grow with sweet peas and rocket for great salads. The peas will add nitrogen that the leafy greens will enjoy. Choose a loose head variety so you can pick it as it grows and get multiple harvests the size you want. also better suited to Australia. If you want to try planting lettuce now some tips to stop it bolting are to give it PLENTY of shade, keep harvesting it regularly, (about every second day once it gets going) keep moist (planter boxes might work but could be expensive) and pinch off buds that start to form. In my experience even a resistant variety in a nice shady place with lots of water will go to seed/taste bitter early if planted later than August. But I have seen it done. lettuce is a great to grow easy and rewarding but I would suggest waiting until after Summer. I plant lettuces April on, when you plan depends on your climate conditions. Try companion planting basil and tomatoes together while you wait or growing zucchini plants. If you have a meter square garden bed try planting 16 corn plants, 3 pumpkin or zucchini and once corn is 15 cm high planting a bean seed at the base of each corn plant. Beans are also good for nitrogen that both the corn and beans will need. All of the above I recommend planting now if you are getting the feeling it is already summer. I am not sure if what i have written is relevant to more inland areas of NSW but hope it may be helpful. Good luck with your gardening!

- Ferran

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