In order for lettuce to thrive, it needs space to grow. A sufficient planting distance must therefore be maintained. Find out below how much space your lettuce needs and other interesting facts about growing it.
What distance do you need when planting lettuce?
For optimal growth, lettuce should have at least 25 cm of space in all directions. For larger varieties, a planting distance of 30 cm is recommended. Please note the information on the recommended planting distance on the seed package.
How much space does lettuce need?
While around two seeds can be sown per tray in seed trays, you can save time and work when direct sowing outdoors by maintaining the necessary planting distance. In general, lettuce should have 25cm of space in all directions. For very large varieties you should even maintain a planting distance of 30cm. The seed package usually states which planting distance is advisable.
Good and bad planting neighbors
Like most vegetables, lettuce is not all green. However, lettuce has very few enemies. You should only keep it away from parsley and celery. On the other hand, there are a lot of vegetables with which lettuce gets along very well. However, lettuce gets along very well with these plant neighbors:
- Aubergines
- Beans
- Dill
- Peas
- Strawberries
- Fennel
- Cucumbers
- Carrots
- Chervil
- Cabbage family
- Kohlrabi
- cress
- Leek
- Corn
- Peppermint
- Radish
- Radish
- Rhubarb
- Beetroot
- Black Roots
- Asparagus
- Tomatoes
- Chicory salad
- Onions
Planting lettuce step by step
How to plant or sow your lettuce:
- Choose a bed that is as sunny as possible and that has not had any lettuce in the last three to four years.
- Dig the bed properly.
- Put a few liters of compost on top and mix it in well.
- Make hollows about half a centimeter deep in the soil at a distance of at least 25cm.
- Put the lettuce seeds in and cover them with soil.
- Carefully water the lettuce. Be careful not to wash away the soil!
- If you have problems with slugs in your garden, it is advisable to protect the lettuce with a slug fence (€95.00 on Amazon) or similar.
