Crop guide
How to grow lettuce
Growing lettuce means sowing a cool-season crop as soon as soil can be worked, matching cited spacing by type, and recording the bed. Light-frost notes are source-specific.
Growing guidance is general information. Timing, spacing, and care depend on cultivar, weather, soil, and local conditions. Check the sources and adjust the plan for your garden.
Steps (range, not a promise)
- 01Sow leaf or butterhead as soon as soil can be worked in spring, or in late summer — cited Maryland timing.
- 02Match spacing to type. Leaf, cos/romaine, butterhead, and crisphead are listed separately.
- 03Protect against heavy frost. Light frost is listed as tolerated on cited sheets.
- 04Log the bed so next season is not a guess.
Leaf, butterhead, and crisphead spacing differ on cited sheets.
The season, on your ground
Save this bed — freeCited climate and frost notes (not freeze-proof)
Separate source assertions — not a BioArva average.
- Clemson HGIC 1312 (South Carolina): lettuce withstands light frosts. Hardiness note on their sheet — not a freeze-proof claim.
- Clemson HGIC 1312 (South Carolina): lettuce is a cool-season crop; their sheet lists temperatures of 55 to 65°F. Temperature range on their sheet — not a BioArva climate zone.
- Maryland Extension (Maryland): lettuce is a semi-hardy annual; it can withstand light frosts but needs protection against heavy frosts or freezing. Hardiness on their sheet — not a freeze-proof claim.
- Maryland Extension (Maryland): lettuce tolerates partial shade (4–6 hours of direct light per day); their sheet also lists full sun in spring and fall. Light note on their sheet — not a ranking of sites.
Cited sowing and spacing (source-separated)
Separate source assertions — not a BioArva average.
- Maryland Extension (Maryland): sow leaf or butterhead types as soon as soil can be worked in the spring, or in late summer; crisphead and cos (romaine) types may be transplanted in early spring and fall. Timing on their sheet — not a national calendar.
- Clemson HGIC 1312 (South Carolina): plant leaf lettuce in rows 1 to 2 feet apart with seed one-quarter inch deep and 6 to 10 inches apart in the row; they say it is usually necessary to plant thicker and thin. Spacing on their sheet — not a BioArva average.
- Maryland Extension (Maryland): leaf, cos, or butterhead 4–10 inches in-row by 12–24 inches between rows; crisphead 12–15 inches in-row by 20–30 inches between rows. Spacing depends on harvest stage on their sheet — not a BioArva average.
- Clemson HGIC 1312 (South Carolina): leaf lettuce should be thinned when the plants are 1 to 2 inches tall. Thinning stage on their sheet — not a BioArva instruction set.
- Clemson HGIC 1312 (South Carolina): their sheet lists soil temperature for seed germination of 60 to 80°F, and says raw lettuce seed will not germinate at a soil temperature above 95°F. Germination range on their sheet — not a BioArva climate zone.
- Maryland Extension (Maryland): their sheet lists 3 to 4 week old transplants. Timing note on their sheet — not a yield promise.
Cited light and container notes (not a ranking)
Separate source assertions — not a BioArva average.
- Maryland Extension (Maryland): their sheet lists lettuce in containers. Container note on their sheet — not a ranking of pots vs ground and not a BioArva pot size.
- Maryland Extension (Maryland): plant long-season lettuces so that crops such as sweet corn, staked tomatoes, pole beans, or deciduous trees will shade the lettuce during the hottest part of the day. Shade timing on their sheet — not a companion ranking.
- Maryland Extension (Maryland): baby leaf lettuce can be grown entirely in indirect light in summer. Light note on their sheet — not a ranking of sites.
Cited sowing windows and covering (source-separated)
Separate source assertions — not a BioArva average.
- Maryland Extension (Maryland): leaf lettuce on their sheet can be grown from March to December with a break in July and August. Geographic calendar on their sheet — not a national plant date.
- Maryland Extension (Maryland): sow 10 to 20 seeds per foot of row; thin individual plants 4- to 8-inches apart, depending on variety. Spacing on their sheet — not a BioArva average.
- Maryland Extension (Maryland): organic mulches are helpful in conserving soil moisture, maintaining even soil temperatures, and limiting weed growth. Cultural note on their sheet — not a BioArva mulch program.
- Clemson HGIC 1312 (South Carolina): leaf lettuce can also be planted in 12-inch-wide beds with the seed broadcast over the bed. Spacing on their sheet — not a BioArva average.
- Clemson HGIC 1312 (South Carolina): head lettuce should be planted in rows 3 feet apart with 12 inches between plants in the row. Spacing on their sheet — not a BioArva average.
- Clemson HGIC 1312 (South Carolina): their seed-starting note distinguishes potting soil from garden soil for covering lettuce seed. Source-specific seed-covering note—not a BioArva mix recipe or product SKU.
Cited harvest, water, and type notes (source-separated)
Separate source assertions — not a BioArva average.
- Maryland Extension (Maryland): days to maturity 40–80, depending on the type. Timing on their sheet — not a yield promise.
- Maryland Extension (Maryland): cultivate carefully, as lettuce is shallow-rooted. Cultural note on their sheet — not a BioArva instruction set.
- Maryland Extension (Maryland): their sheet lists frequent, light watering; for overhead watering, it specifies morning so plants have time to dry during the day. Water note on their sheet—not a BioArva irrigation schedule.
- Maryland Extension (Maryland): their Cut and Come Again harvesting note describes sowing a raised bed thickly and cutting plants right above ground level with sharp scissors. Harvest method on their sheet — not a BioArva yield promise and not a title claim.
- Clemson HGIC 1312 (South Carolina): they list growing head lettuce from transplants. Source-specific start method — not a ranking of sources and not a BioArva instruction set.
- Clemson HGIC 1312 (South Carolina): butterhead or Bibb lettuce is a loose-heading type with dark green leaves that are somewhat thicker than those of iceberg lettuce. Type note on their sheet — not a ranking.
- Maryland Extension (Maryland): their spring succession note describes using tall crops and trellises to shade late-spring lettuce plantings. Source-specific planning note—not a companion ranking or a BioArva calendar.
Can lettuce grow in containers?
Maryland Extension lists lettuce in containers. Container note on their sheet — not a ranking of pots vs ground and not a BioArva pot size.
What to record in the Field Book
Save the bed with the crop and the date. You may add a photo and notes. Compare entries you have recorded with each other — not with a diagnosis from this page. If you want an identification, bring the record to local Extension.
Seed for this guide
No seed offer on this page
When a supplier is listed, it will be outbound and disclosed. Nothing to buy here.
How we know — methodology. Ranges and assertions are cited per source, not blended.