Plant characteristics
Plant Type:
- Vegetables
- Annual
Sunlight Requirements (where to plant related to sun)
- Full Sun
- Full Sun or Partially Shade
Soil Type (type of soil plant needs)
- Soil with Good Drainage
- Soil with Drainage but Wet
Climate Type (how tollerant is to frost?)
- No Frost Tolerant
Fragrant Plant (do flowers have an aroma?)
- No Fragrant Flowers
Difficulty Level (how hard is to cultivate this plant?)
- Easy
Showing Season (which months can we sow seeds)
- August
- September
- October
- November
Planting Season (which months can we plant or transplant)
- January
- February
- March
- August
- September
- October
- November
- December
How to grow Lettuce
Lettuce is an easy to grow vegetable. It is a key ingredient in many salads. Its chlorophyll-rich leaves are very nutritious.
From the lettuce plant, you can cut a few leaves at a time for your salad, or pull out the whole plant and use it.
The tastiest leaves are found in the inside (heart of the lettuce), but the outer leaves are the ones with the most chlorophyll and are the most nutritious.
Other names for lettuce
Latin name: Lactuca sativa. Asteraceae family
Greek name: Μαρούλι (single), Μαρούλια (plural)
Tips for growing lettuce
Start lettuce from seeds or seedlings
You can sow lettuce seeds directly in the garden, or start them in a nursery and then transplant the seedlings.
Lettuce is a vegetable that you can plant almost any time of the year. But you will get better results if the temperature is below 21 degrees Celsius. The seeds need light to germinate.
If you plan to plant lettuce in August, then it is best to plant lettuce seeds in a nursery indoors. Make sure that the nursery is in a cool place and that it is exposed to light.
If you want to have a continuous harvest, sow new lettuce every 2 to 3 weeks.
Distances between lettuce plants
You should sow lettuces at distances of 20 to 25 cm.
Irrigating lettuces
Lettuces need constant and frequent watering.
Best soil for lettuce
Lettuce prefers soil that is well drained and rich in organic matter.