When to plant lettuce in the garden?

Fresh lettuce grown in your own garden tastes best! See when to plant it.

Lettuce can be planted directly into the ground or from seedlings. It is important to remember to do this at the right time – sowing too early can cause lettuce to bloom before harvest.

Lettuce is sensitive to the length of the day and with its length it begins to receive the signal that it is time to bloom and give seed. Therefore, lettuce should be sown at a time when it has time to grow before the time when days are longest, i.e. early enough before June and July. If the lettuce does not have time to blossom, the leaves will harden and become bitter.

Because different lettuce varieties have different sensitivities to day length, there is no universal sowing date for this vegetable. When buying seeds, ask about the variety and the right planting date for it

Iceberg lettuce

Iceberg lettuce is best planted in the ground between April 10 and 25. If sowing into boxes: from March 10 to April 10,

Leaf lettuce

This variety should be planted in the ground from April 15 to May 15, and in boxes from March 15 to April 15.

Butter lettuce

Butterhead lettuce should be planted into the ground from 10 to 15 April, and into boxes from 10 March to 10 April – just like iceberg lettuce.