Cultivated Lettuce

How to grow Cultivated Lettuce

Written by the GardenDecoded editorial team · Last reviewed 21 July 2026 · Written for UK gardens · How we research our guidance

Planting

Sow a short row or a few modules every two weeks from March to August — one big sowing gives you forty lettuces in the same fortnight and nothing afterwards. Space hearting types 25–30 cm apart, loose-leaf types much closer. Sow winter-hardy varieties in early autumn under cloches or in a cold frame for spring picking.

Pruning

Cut-and-come-again types can be sheared to 3–4 cm and will regrow two or three times. Pick outer leaves from loose-leaf varieties and leave the centre growing.

Propagation

From seed. Lettuce seed goes dormant above roughly 25°C, so midsummer sowings often fail — sow in the evening, water the drill first, and shade it.

Pests and diseases

Slugs and snails are the main threat to young plants. Root aphid causes sudden wilting in hot weather, and downy mildew and grey mould appear in cool damp conditions. Birds take seedlings, so net early sowings.

Notes

Bolting is triggered by heat, dryness and root disturbance; once the plant starts to elongate the leaves turn bitter and it is finished. Cos and loose-leaf types generally stand longer than butterheads. Pick in the early morning, when the leaves are turgid.

This guidance was researched and written by GardenDecoded — see our editorial policy for how guides are checked and reviewed.

Other names for this plant

These names have all been used for Lactuca sativa but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.

Others in Lactuca