Garden Care Guide

Lettuce Care

Lactuca sativa

A fast-growing leafy vegetable that likes cool weather. It bolts and turns bitter in summer heat; it does best in spring and autumn.

Half-hardy · -4 °C / 25 °F

Monthly care calendar

Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.

January
  • Frost risk: Winter lettuces tolerate light frosts; in harder frosts below -4 °C, cover them with a light fleece cover.
February
  • General care: Sow the seeds very shallowly (0.5 cm) or raise seedlings in a seed tray; because they germinate in light, cover them very thinly. For a continuous harvest, make small sowings every 3-4 weeks.
March
  • Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
  • Fertilizing: Mix compost into the soil before planting; a single application of nitrogen fertilizer during the growing season is enough.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Sow the seeds very shallowly (0.5 cm) or raise seedlings in a seed tray; because they germinate in light, cover them very thinly. For a continuous harvest, make small sowings every 3-4 weeks.
  • General care: Plant seedlings 30 cm between rows and 25-30 cm within the row; do not bury the heart of the plant.
  • Pests & diseases: After rain and in the evening hours, check the young leaves for irregular holes and shiny slime trails (snails, slugs); picking them off by hand is the most effective method.
April
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Plant seedlings 30 cm between rows and 25-30 cm within the row; do not bury the heart of the plant.
  • General care: Harvest: For curly types, pick the outer leaves as needed; for heading varieties, cut the head just above the root once it is firm.
  • Pests & diseases: After rain and in the evening hours, check the young leaves for irregular holes and shiny slime trails (snails, slugs); picking them off by hand is the most effective method.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
May
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Harvest: For curly types, pick the outer leaves as needed; for heading varieties, cut the head just above the root once it is firm.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
June
  • Watering: Water deeply at the base 2-3 times a week, in the early morning; do not water again until the soil surface has dried 2-3 cm down.
  • General care: Harvest: For curly types, pick the outer leaves as needed; for heading varieties, cut the head just above the root once it is firm.
  • General care: If a stalk starts to elongate from the center with the heat (bolting), the leaves turn bitter; harvest the plant immediately. A partially shaded spot and frequent watering in summer delay this.
August
  • General care: Sow the seeds very shallowly (0.5 cm) or raise seedlings in a seed tray; because they germinate in light, cover them very thinly. For a continuous harvest, make small sowings every 3-4 weeks.
September
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • Fertilizing: Mix compost into the soil before planting; a single application of nitrogen fertilizer during the growing season is enough.
  • General care: Sow the seeds very shallowly (0.5 cm) or raise seedlings in a seed tray; because they germinate in light, cover them very thinly. For a continuous harvest, make small sowings every 3-4 weeks.
  • General care: Plant seedlings 30 cm between rows and 25-30 cm within the row; do not bury the heart of the plant.
October
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Plant seedlings 30 cm between rows and 25-30 cm within the row; do not bury the heart of the plant.
  • General care: Harvest: For curly types, pick the outer leaves as needed; for heading varieties, cut the head just above the root once it is firm.
  • Pests & diseases: After rain and in the evening hours, check the young leaves for irregular holes and shiny slime trails (snails, slugs); picking them off by hand is the most effective method.
November
  • Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Harvest: For curly types, pick the outer leaves as needed; for heading varieties, cut the head just above the root once it is firm.
  • Pests & diseases: After rain and in the evening hours, check the young leaves for irregular holes and shiny slime trails (snails, slugs); picking them off by hand is the most effective method.
December
  • Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
  • General care: Harvest: For curly types, pick the outer leaves as needed; for heading varieties, cut the head just above the root once it is firm.
  • Frost risk: Winter lettuces tolerate light frosts; in harder frosts below -4 °C, cover them with a light fleece cover.

The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.

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