When to plant or sow Lamb's lettuce?

Lamb's lettuce thrives in full sun or partial shade and tolerates a wide range of soils, though it performs best in loam or sandy soil that drains freely. This hardy salad crop is sown directly where it is to grow, as it dislikes transplanting. The main sowing window runs from August through October, making it an ideal autumn and winter crop for temperate gardens. Prepare the bed by raking the soil to a fine tilth, removing stones and breaking up any clods. Lamb's lettuce doesn't demand rich soil, but incorporating a little garden compost will improve moisture retention without making the ground too heavy. Sow seeds thinly in shallow drills about 1 cm deep, spacing rows roughly 15 cm apart. You can also broadcast seed over a wider bed and thin later. Germination is quicker in the cooler temperatures of late summer and early autumn; seeds sown in high heat may struggle. After sowing, water gently with a fine rose to settle the soil around the seeds. Keep the bed moist until seedlings emerge, usually within 10 to 14 days. Once plants have two true leaves, thin them to about 10 cm apart to allow each rosette room to develop. You can eat the thinnings. For a continuous harvest through winter and early spring, sow in succession every three to four weeks from August to early October. Later sowings benefit from cloche or fleece protection to speed germination and shield young plants from the worst weather. Mulching is generally unnecessary, but a light layer of compost between rows can suppress weeds and conserve moisture in drier spells.