How to plant out lettuce

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Tuesday, 14 May 2019 at 3:00 pm

Home-grown lettuce can provide you with a continuous supply of tasty leaves. We show you how.

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To do

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By planting out lettuce throughout summer, you can ensure a continuous supply of fresh salad leaves. You can grow your own young plants from seed or buy them from nurseries and garden centres. Lettuce makes an ideal quick crop to grow between other vegetables before they mature, or at the front of flowerbeds and in pots.

You Will Need

Lettuce plants
Line and reel or length of wood
Trowel

Total time: 20 minutes

Step 1

Water young lettuce plants an hour before planting. Knock them from their seed trays or pots, taking care not to damage the roots. Use a length of straight timber or string to keep them in line, where necessary.

Step 2

Plant lettuce with a trowel ensuring that the top of the rootball is at the same level as the surrounding soil. Fill soil around the roots and firm it in position using the tips of your fingers.

Step 3

Space plants 15cm - 30cm apart (check the label or seed packet for individual instructions). Plant in rows between other vegetables or in blocks. Water well after planting and at two-day intervals in dry weather.

Cover transplanted lettuce with horticultural fleece in cooler conditions, or shade netting in warmer months, for four to five days after planting to help them establish and reduce the risk of wilting.