Growing tips
Lettuce prefers to grow in a sunny position but salad leaves can grow in light shade in the summer.
When to grow:
Sow seeds outside this month through to September (check the seed packet for details). Protect the seedlings with horticultural fleece until all risks of frosts have passed.
You will need:
Gardening gloves
Packet of lettuce seeds
Trowel
Rake
What you do:
-
Lettuce can be sown straight in to the ground where it's going to grow, so make sure the space you're going to sow is weed free by using a trowel to remove the weeds.
-
Rake the soil to a fine tilth (a fine, crumbly texture) and make some drills 10mm deep. The rows should be spaced about
20 - 30cm apart. The spacing can depend on the type of crop, so do check the seed packet.
-
Water the soil before sowing and allow the drill to drain if the soil is dry, sprinkle the seed in carefully and cover up with soil. As they grow, if the plants are crowded, then thin them out to about 15cm apart.
-
Slugs and snails love to eat lettuce and salad crops so protect them with mini cloches whilst the crops are young.