Lettuce can be grown in seed trays or sown directly outdoors. Find out here when, how and where to sow lettuce and what needs to be taken into account when caring for the young plants.
When and how should you sow lettuce?
Lettuce can be sown in seed trays from February or directly outdoors from the end of May. Choose the right variety for your sowing time, loosen the soil, mix in compost and sow the seeds in 25 cm spacings with light watering.
Choose the right types of lettuce
Lettuce can be sown practically all year round, provided you choose the appropriate variety: Do you want to grow lettuce at home in February so that you can harvest fresh lettuce in May? Then choose an early variety of lettuce. Do you want to sow lettuce in the summer so you can harvest it in the fall? Then you should choose a medium variety, because early varieties could shoot and are less heat-resistant. Here you will find a comprehensive overview of the most common early, medium and late lettuce varieties.
Sowing lettuce in seed trays
Lettuce can be brought forward from February. As soon as there is no longer any frost outside, he can move outdoors. In this case, you can harvest fresh lettuce as early as May. It is unnecessary to prefer the lettuce for later sowing. Instead, sow it directly outdoors.
Sowing lettuce outdoors
As soon as frost is no longer expected, you can sow lettuce directly outdoors. The Ice Saints at the end of May are a guideline for this. From this date you can easily sow your lettuce outdoors. Here's how to do it:
- Loosen the soil with a hoe or spade.
- Mix in a few liters of compost.
- Water the soil lightly.
- Make small depressions about half a centimeter deep in the soil at least 25cm apart.
- Put the seeds into the holes and cover with soil.
- Water the bed carefully.
- Provide snail protection if necessary.
Harvest lettuce continuously
If you want to harvest lettuce all year round, you can sow lettuce every week. For sowing in summer, you should choose a medium variety that is more heat-resistant than early varieties and can therefore also be harvested in midsummer.
Tip
Lettuce also grows in a pot on the balcony or terrace. You can find out here how to sow lettuce in a pot and under what conditions it thrives best.
