Lamb's lettuce

Lamb's lettuce: plant 8 cm (3.1 in) apart in the row and 15 cm (6 in) between rows, 16 per square. No known bad neighbours.

Key facts

How it is started	Sown straight into the bed
Seeds per hole	3
Plants kept after thinning	1
Seeds per metre of row	38
Sowing depth	0.5 cm (0.2 in)
Soil temperature	from 4 °C, best 12–18 °C
Days to emerge	10–20 days
Light while germinating	Needs light, barely cover
Before sowing	nothing needed
When to sow	Indoors 4 weeks before the last frost; outdoors before the last frost; soil at least 5 °C

Pricking out	at 2 true leaves
Takes transplanting	Easily
Hardening off	5–7 days
Life cycle	Annual
Cold tolerance	Hardy, takes hard frost
Soil	Rich, with compost, stays moist, pH 6–7
In a pot	6 L, 20 cm (7.9 in)
Watering	Water when the soil is dry two fingers down; while leaves grow
Feeding	Moderate; at planting, while growing
Support and training	None needed

Days to first harvest	60–90 days, from sowing
Ready when	The leaves are big enough to use
Harvest window	All at once, 4–10 weeks
Sow again every	14 days
Typical yield	2–4 kg per m²
Botanical family	Caprifoliaceae
Watch out for	Slugs and snails, aphids, downy mildew

Open the free planner, drop Lamb's lettuce onto a bed and see how many plants fit.

Sow outdoors	Aug–Sep
Harvest	Oct–Mar

My country Last spring frost where I live

Give the date once and this page, the sowing calendar and the planner all follow it.

Months for a temperate climate: about a month later in the north and a month earlier in the south. Give your own last frost date for exact dates.

Plants of the Caprifoliaceae family share diseases and pests, so they follow each other in the rotation only after a break.

Crops that need about the same room and care, from another family.

Crops that still have time to grow on the same spot once it is lifted, from another rotation group.