VegetableLettuce
Lettuce
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) thrives across hardiness zones 2 through 10, rewarding gardeners with crisp, tender leaves in as little as 50 to 55 days from seed. This cool-season annual grows to a modest 5 to 10 inches tall and 6 to 12 inches wide, fitting neatly into garden beds, containers, and tight spaces. Dozens of varieties exist within the species, each offering distinct textures, colors, and flavors, from frilly oakleaf types to compact butterhead forms to upright romaine. The genus name derives from the Latin word for milk, a reference to the plant's characteristic milky sap. Grown for centuries and loved by home gardeners for its reliability, lettuce tolerates moderate moisture and even occasional wet soil, making it a forgiving crop for beginners.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
2-10
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With Consistent Moisture
Growth Stats
10 in
Height
12 in
Width
Spacing
8
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
2-10
Size
10in H x 12in W
Growth
—
Care
Moderate
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Highlights
Lettuce grows quickly and reliably across a broad range of climates, from the coldest northern zones to warm southern gardens. Individual varieties showcase remarkable diversity, from burgundy oakleaf types that deepen in color as temperatures cool, to heritage strains bred for heat resistance and slow bolting, to tiny single-serving heads perfect for intimate dinners. Young leaves can be harvested early for tender baby greens, or plants allowed to mature into full heads. The crop tolerates moderate watering and even tolerates wet soil better than many vegetables, and consistent moisture during the growing season produces the best flavor. Because lettuce grows best in cool weather, strategic timing and succession planting ensure harvests from spring through fall.
Common Uses
Fresh salads are the primary use, from simple green salads to complex composed dishes. Different varieties suit different preparations: butterhead and bibb lettuces excel in delicate salads where their buttery leaves shine with minimal dressing, while crisp romaine varieties like Parris Island deliver the structure needed for Caesar salads with their creamy white hearts. Loose-leaf varieties like oakleaf types work beautifully in mixed green salads and salad mixes. Baby leaf harvests, whether from oakleaf or romaine varieties, appear in mesclun blends and specialty greens mixes sold at farmers' markets. Individual serving-sized varieties like Little Gem are dressed whole for dramatic plating at dinner parties. Red varieties like Merlot and Red Salad Bowl serve both culinary and ornamental purposes, adding color and visual interest to garden beds and plates alike. Quick-growing varieties also provide tender early spring greens when other vegetables are still weeks from harvest.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Sow seeds indoors approximately 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Seeds germinate best in cool conditions around 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Seedlings are ready to transplant outdoors when they develop their first true leaves, typically 4 to 6 weeks after sowing.
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant seedlings outdoors about 2 weeks before your last spring frost date, after hardening off for several days by gradually exposing plants to outdoor conditions. Space transplants 8 inches apart in soil enriched with well-composted material. Soil temperature should be cool, ideally below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. For fall crops, transplant in late summer so plants mature as temperatures cool.
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds into prepared garden soil about 2 weeks before the last spring frost date. For continuous harvests, succession plant seeds every 2 to 3 weeks through early summer, then resume planting in late summer for fall crops. Seeds germinate best in cool soil; direct seeding in midsummer may fail if soil temperature exceeds 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Harvesting
Harvest begins as early as 50 to 55 days from seed for most varieties, though specific timing varies by type and growing conditions. Baby leaf varieties can be harvested at 28 to 33 days when leaves reach a tender, delicate stage. For full-sized heads, harvest when they feel firm to the touch and before plants bolt. Loose-leaf varieties can be harvested using the cut-and-come-again method, removing outer leaves while the center continues growing, extending harvest over several weeks. Some varieties like Parris Island form upright 10 to 12-inch heads with a creamy white heart that indicate maturity. Color deepens in many varieties as temperatures cool; burgundy types develop richer colors in spring and fall. Harvest in the morning when leaves are crisp and full of moisture for best flavor and texture.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Bloom Time
Flowers Not Showy
Tolerances
Wet Soil
Scientific Classification
Lactuca sativa
Family
Asteraceae
Genus
Lactuca
Native Status
L48 (I)PR (I)VI (I)CAN (W)
History & Origin
“Lettuce cultivation reaches back millennia, though the crisp-headed and butterhead varieties we know today emerged through deliberate selection over centuries. The species name, sativa, simply means 'cultivated,' acknowledging humanity's long partnership with this plant. Many modern heirlooms trace their origins to Europe, particularly France, where breeders perfected distinctive types: varieties like Quatre Saisons survived harsh conditions and earned the nickname meaning 'four seasons' for their hardy nature, while Bibb lettuce was developed by Lt. John B. Bibb, a Kentucky horticulturist and statesman who served from 1827 to 1834, though the variety wasn't offered commercially until 1935. Parris Island, an upright romaine type, emerged from collaborative breeding efforts between the USDA and Clemson in the early 1950s, deliberately bred for resistance to tipburn and mosaic virus tolerance. Other varieties like Great Lakes represent the iceberg type perfected for commercial production, while regional Amish varieties persisted through family seed saving for their ruggedness and heavy yields. Countless French heirloom strains from the 1800s, including Rouge d'Hiver, were traditionally grown as baby leaf lettuces before evolving into full-sized head varieties.”