When to plant or sow Lettuce?

Lettuce thrives in full sun or partial shade, making it one of the most flexible salad crops for temperate gardens. In spring and autumn, choose a sunny spot; in midsummer, partial shade helps prevent bolting. The soil should be moisture-retentive loam or clay, enriched with well-rotted compost or manure dug in a few weeks before sowing. Lettuce has shallow roots and needs consistent moisture, so good soil preparation is essential. You can sow lettuce directly outdoors from March through to August, allowing for a long harvest season. For early spring sowings in March, wait until the soil has warmed slightly and consider using cloches or fleece to protect young seedlings from late frosts. Sow seeds thinly in shallow drills about 1 cm deep, in rows 25–30 cm apart. Alternatively, broadcast seed in blocks for a cut-and-come-again crop. Thin seedlings progressively as they grow. When they're large enough to handle, thin to about 10 cm apart, then thin again to a final spacing of 25 cm for hearting varieties. You can eat the thinnings. For a continuous supply, sow a short row every two to three weeks rather than a large batch all at once. Water the drill before sowing if the soil is dry, then water gently after sowing to settle the seeds. Keep the soil consistently moist during germination, which typically takes seven to fourteen days depending on temperature. Mulch lightly around young plants with compost to retain moisture and suppress weeds, but keep mulch clear of the leaves to avoid rot.