Lettuce Growing Guide🥬 : Planting, Spacing, and Harvesting Tips for Self-Watering Gardens

Introduction

Lettuce is one of the most rewarding crops for beginner and advanced gardeners alike. It grows quickly, thrives in SIPs and wicking beds, and rewards you with continuous, crisp harvests. Using GardenWells inserts ensures bottom-up watering, keeping leaves tender and preventing bolting in warmer months.

When to Plant Lettuce

• Spring: Start early plantings March through May; visit the March Gardening Guide for starter tips.

• Summer: Choose heat-tolerant varieties and plant successions every 2–3 weeks; see the June Gardening Guide.

• Fall: Plant in August for sweet, cool-season harvests — guidance in the September Gardening Guide.

Square Foot Gardening Spacing

• Spacing: 4–6 plants per sq ft (~6” apart)

• Depth: Sow seeds ¼” deep

• Companions: Ideal with carrots, radishes, and scallions.

How to Plant Lettuce

Direct Seeding (Preferred)

• Sow seeds evenly and thin seedlings to 4–6” spacing once established.

• Stagger sowings for continual harvests throughout the season.

Transplanting

• Start indoors 4 weeks before last frost for early spring crops.

• Harden seedlings for 5–7 days before transplanting into SIPs or wicking beds.

Watering Your Lettuce

Lettuce thrives on consistent, shallow hydration:

• Use your WaterStem: when the Hummingbird rises, the reservoir’s full; when it drops, refill.

• Before establishment: Lightly top-water for the first 7–10 days.

• After establishment: Refill SIP reservoirs every 1–2 weeks depending on weather.

• Mulch around plants to keep roots cool and conserve moisture.

Harvesting Lettuce

• Baby Greens: Ready 20–30 days after sowing.

• Full Heads: Harvest in 45–55 days, depending on variety.

• Use a “cut-and-come-again” approach for continuous yields — snip outer leaves, leaving centers to regrow.

Common Issues & Fixes

Companion Plants for Lettuce

Best companions (with cross-links):

• Carrots → Deep-rooted, perfect for interplanting in SIPs.

• Radishes → Mature quickly, allowing space for lettuce to spread.

• Scallions → Maximize SIP layering and deter pests.

• Peas → Nitrogen boosters for lush lettuce growth.

• Spinach → Great cool-weather companion, sharing SIP moisture zones.

Avoid planting with:

• Brassicas like cabbage and broccoli — compete for similar nutrients.

• Celery → Requires significantly more moisture and can crowd roots.

Product Tips

• Small patios? Grow lettuce in CondoFarms self-watering planters for quick, abundant yields.

• DIY gardeners? Turn raised beds into high-performance wicking beds with GardenWells inserts.

• Expanding production? Use custom self-watering raised beds for scaled lettuce growing.