How long does lettuce take to grow?

Leaf lettuce is ready for cut-and-come-again harvest in 30 to 45 days and full heads in 45 to 55 days; romaine takes 55 to 70 days and crisphead (iceberg) 70 to 85 days. Loose-leaf types are the fastest route to a salad and the most forgiving. Because you can harvest outer leaves without pulling the plant, most gardeners begin picking a loose-leaf variety within a month of sowing and keep going for weeks.

Why does my lettuce turn bitter?

Bitterness is almost always caused by heat and the bolting that follows. When temperatures climb above the mid-70s F, lettuce shifts toward flowering, and the same latex compounds that fuel the seed stalk make the leaves bitter. Water stress makes it worse. Grow lettuce in the cool shoulder seasons, provide afternoon shade in summer, water consistently, and harvest young — bitterness is a signal the plant is switching from leaf to seed.

Can lettuce grow in shade?

Yes, and partial shade is an advantage in warm weather. Lettuce needs only 4 to 6 hours of sun and actually benefits from afternoon shade once temperatures rise, because shade keeps the soil cooler and delays bolting. In spring and fall give it full sun for fastest growth; in summer, plant it where taller crops or a shade cloth block the hottest afternoon light to extend the harvest.

How do I harvest lettuce so it keeps growing?

Use the cut-and-come-again method: pick the outer, older leaves individually and leave the central growing point intact, and the plant keeps producing new leaves from the center for weeks. Cut in the morning when leaves are crisp, take no more than a third at once, and never damage the crown. For head types, cut the whole head at the base once it firms up; those do not regrow the same way loose-leaf does.

How often should I water lettuce?

Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged — usually the equivalent of about 1 inch of water per week, split into light, frequent waterings because lettuce has shallow roots. Inconsistent watering triggers bitterness and bolting, and dry spells stall growth. Morning watering at the base keeps foliage dry to reduce disease. In hot weather, more frequent light watering also cools the root zone and slows the plant's rush to flower.

How to Grow Lettuce: Sowing, Spacing, and Beating the Bolt

Written & researched by Elena Marsh Gardening & Landscaping Editor

Updated July 2026

Over-the-shoulder view of a person harvesting ripe tomatoes into a basket in a backyard vegetable garden, in warm late-afternoon light

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The short answer: to grow lettuce, plant it in cool weather — spring and fall, or shaded spots in summer — in rich, moist soil with a few hours of sun. Keep soil temperatures between about 45 and 65°F, sow a small batch every 2 to 3 weeks for a continuous supply, space plants 6 to 12 inches depending on type, and harvest the outer leaves so the plant keeps producing. The main enemy is heat: above the mid-70s, lettuce bolts and turns bitter, so timing and consistent water are everything.

Lettuce is one of the fastest, most beginner-friendly crops, and one of the most rewarding to succession-sow. This guide follows extension-service growing data and the results home growers consistently report, described in how we rank. For expected timelines see how long lettuce takes from seed to harvest, and to keep the supply rolling, the succession planting schedule.

Choose the right type of lettuce

The type sets your timeline, spacing and heat tolerance:

Type	Days to harvest	Spacing	Notes
Loose-leaf	30 to 45	6 to 8 in	Fastest, cut-and-come-again, most bolt-tolerant
Butterhead (Bibb)	45 to 55	8 to 10 in	Tender heads, good spring and fall
Romaine (Cos)	55 to 70	8 to 10 in	Upright, heat-tolerant, sturdy
Crisphead (Iceberg)	70 to 85	10 to 12 in	Slowest, most demanding, needs steady cool

Beginners should start with loose-leaf and butterhead — they are quick, forgiving, and let you harvest leaves for weeks rather than waiting on a single head. Bolt-resistant cultivars like Jericho romaine and Muir leaf lettuce buy extra weeks in warm weather.

Overhead view of a person harvesting ripe tomatoes into a basket in a backyard vegetable garden, in soft overcast light

When and where to plant

Lettuce is a cool-season crop, so timing is the biggest lever:

Spring: sow as soon as the soil can be worked, 2 to 4 weeks before the last frost. Lettuce germinates in soil as cool as 40°F.
Fall: sow 8 weeks before the first fall frost; cooling weather gives some of the best lettuce of the year.
Summer: only in afternoon shade or under shade cloth, using bolt-resistant types.
Location: full sun in spring and fall; part shade in warm weather to slow bolting.

Lettuce seed goes dormant above about 80°F, which is why midsummer sowings often fail to come up.

Sowing and spacing

Sow shallowly. Lettuce seed needs light to germinate, so barely cover it — about 1/8 inch — and keep the surface moist.
Direct-sow or transplant. Loose-leaf does best direct-sown; head types transplant well from 3 to 4 week-old seedlings.
Thin to final spacing once seedlings have a few leaves, and eat the thinnings.
Space by type: 6 inches for leaf, up to 12 for crisphead. Crowded lettuce stays small and bolts sooner.

Golden-hour view of a person harvesting ripe tomatoes into a basket in a backyard vegetable garden

Soil, water and feeding

Lettuce is shallow-rooted and fast-growing, so it wants light, rich, consistently moist soil:

Soil: loose, high in organic matter, pH 6.0 to 7.0. Work in compost before planting.
Water: about 1 inch a week in light, frequent applications; steady moisture is critical because dry spells trigger bitterness and bolting.
Feed: a light nitrogen feed every 2 to 3 weeks keeps leaves tender and fast. A gentle vegetable blend from our vegetable garden fertilizer picks is plenty; lettuce does not need heavy feeding.

Succession sowing for a continuous supply

The single biggest upgrade to home lettuce growing is planting little and often. A whole packet sown at once gives you more lettuce than you can eat in one narrow window, then nothing. Instead, sow a short row or a few cells every 2 to 3 weeks through the cool seasons, so a fresh batch is always coming into harvest as the last one bolts. This is the heart of succession planting, and lettuce is the ideal crop to learn it on.

Preventing bolting and bitterness

Bolting — sending up a flower stalk — is lettuce's response to heat and stress, and it makes the leaves bitter as it happens. To hold it off:

Grow in the cool seasons and shift to shade as summer arrives.
Water consistently; drought stress accelerates bolting.
Choose bolt-resistant cultivars for late-spring and summer sowings.
Harvest young. The longer a plant sits in warm weather, the more likely it bolts, so pick early and often.
Mulch to keep the root zone cool and moisture even.

Three-quarter view of a person harvesting ripe tomatoes into a basket in a backyard vegetable garden, in soft overcast light

Growing lettuce in containers

Lettuce is one of the best crops for pots, window boxes and small spaces, because its shallow roots do not need deep soil and a container is easy to move into shade as the weather warms:

Depth: a container 6 to 8 inches deep is plenty; wider is better than deeper for spacing several plants.
Mix: use quality potting mix with compost, not garden soil, and make sure the pot drains.
Watering: containers dry out faster, so check daily in warm weather and keep the mix consistently moist to prevent bitterness.
Placement: full sun in spring and fall; slide the pot into afternoon shade in summer to slow bolting.
Succession: keep two or three pots on a rotation so a fresh one is always coming ready.

A cut-and-come-again mix of loose-leaf varieties in a single wide container can supply salad greens for weeks from a spot as small as a balcony rail.

Common lettuce pests and problems

Problem	Signs	Fix
Bolting	Plant stretches tall, leaves turn bitter	Grow in cool seasons, shade, water evenly, harvest young
Aphids	Clusters on leaf undersides and in heads	Spray with water; encourage ladybugs and lacewings
Slugs and snails	Ragged holes, slime trails, worst in wet weather	Hand-pick at night, use barriers, avoid evening watering
Tip burn	Brown, dead leaf margins	Keep moisture even; often worsened by heat and rapid growth
Downy mildew	Yellow patches on top, gray fuzz beneath	Space for airflow, water at the base in the morning
Poor germination	Seed fails to sprout in summer	Soil is too warm; sow in cooler conditions or pre-chill seed

Most lettuce problems come down to two things: heat (which drives bolting, bitterness and tip burn) and moisture stress. Grow in the right season, water consistently, and give plants airflow, and lettuce is one of the most trouble-free crops in the garden.

Harvesting for weeks of leaves

How you harvest determines how long a plant lasts:

Cut-and-come-again: pick outer leaves individually and leave the central crown, and loose-leaf and butterhead keep producing for weeks.
Whole-head: for romaine and crisphead, cut the entire head at the base once it firms up.
Harvest in the morning when leaves are crisp and full of water.
Take no more than a third at once from a cut-and-come-again plant so it can recover.

Grown this way, a single short row can supply salads for a month or more. For the harvest timeline see how long lettuce takes from seed to harvest, for other quick crops try the best vegetables to direct sow, and browse the full seeds and vegetable growing hub for the rest of the kitchen garden.

How to Grow Lettuce