How to grow butterhead lettuce
Takes light frost · Daisy family
When to sow and plant
- Sow outdoors 29 March – 5 April
- Plant out around 19 April
Based on: average for Germany, last frost 19 April, safe from 6 May
Planting calendar for your areaWhere the dates come from
The weeks come from our sources; the dates use the average frost in Germany. Enter a German postcode to get dates for your area.
- Sow outdoors: 2–3 weeks before the last frost (USU Extension: Lettuce in the Garden)
- Plant out: from the last frost (USU Extension: Lettuce in the Garden)
Good and bad neighbours
Good neighbours · 6
Sweet alyssumStudy· B
Sweet alyssum draws beneficial insects that eat aphids; lettuce next to it had fewer aphids.
B: Hint from one study
TomatoExpert rule· C
Lettuce bolts in heat; in the shade of tall tomatoes it stays tender longer.
C: Expert rule with a reason
SweetcornExpert rule· C
Lettuce grows fast between the corn and gets shade there; it is picked before the corn closes in.
C: Expert rule with a reason
White cabbage, Red cabbage, Savoy cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussels sproutsExpert rule· C
Lettuce grows fast in the gaps between young cabbages and is picked before the cabbage closes the rows.
C: Expert rule with a reason
White cabbageRed cabbageSavoy cabbageCauliflowerBrussels sprouts
CucumberExpert rule· C
Cucumbers only go in mid-May; until then, and along the edge, there is room for lettuce.
C: Expert rule with a reason
LeekExpert rule· C
Leeks only grow strongly in late summer; until then quick lettuce fits in the row.
C: Expert rule with a reason
Disputed · 1
CeleryDisputed· X
BUND lists lettuce as a good celery neighbour; the Rhineland-Palatinate garden academy advises against it for celery.
X: Sources disagree
Gardeners’ lore, not proven · 3
AsparagusLore: good· D
Black salsifyLore: good· D
DillLore: good· D
Crop rotation
After the daisy family, leave the bed free of it for at least 3 years.
- The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.
- Example: grown here in 2026, again from 2030.
At a glance
- Family
- Daisy family (Asteraceae)
- Nutrient needs
- Medium feeder
- Frost
- Half-hardy, tolerates light frost
- Spacing (row × plant)
- 25 × 25 cm (10 × 10 in)
- Plants per m²
- 16
- Per square foot (30 × 30 cm)
- 4 plants
- Life cycle
- Annual
- Harvest
- After 55–75 days
Spacing according to Bayerische Gartenakademie (LWG): Sä- und Pflanztermine auf einen Blick (2018). Other sources: 30 × 30 cm (12 × 12 in) (LfULG Sachsen: Gartensalate – Anbau im Haus- und Kleingarten).
Questions and answers
When can I plant out butterhead lettuce?
Plant out, average for Germany: around 19 April. Enter a German postcode above for your area, or your own frost date in the planting calendar.
How far apart should I plant butterhead lettuce?
25 × 25 cm (10 × 10 in) (row × plant), according to Bayerische Gartenakademie (LWG): Sä- und Pflanztermine auf einen Blick (2018).
What grows well next to butterhead lettuce?
Sweet alyssum: Good neighbour (B), Tomato: Good neighbour (C), Sweetcorn: Good neighbour (C), White cabbage, Red cabbage, Savoy cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts: Good neighbour (C) and Cucumber: Good neighbour (C).
How long a break do butterhead lettuce need in the same bed?
After the daisy family, leave the bed free of it for at least 3 years. The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.
More from the daisy family
Sources
Show 15 sources
- Südtiroler Bauernbund: Merkblatt Fruchtfolgen im Gemüsebau (Oktober 2022)
- Purdue Extension HO-66-W: The Fall Vegetable Garden, Table 2
- Cornell Home Gardening: Growing Guide Lettuce
- Bayerische Gartenakademie (LWG): Sä- und Pflanztermine auf einen Blick (2018)
- LfULG Sachsen: Gartensalate – Anbau im Haus- und Kleingarten
- UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners Tulare-Kings: How to Square Foot Garden
- USU Extension: Lettuce in the Garden
- Landwirtschaftskammer Schleswig-Holstein: Fruchtfolge im Garten (Gartenmerkblatt, 2020)
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (über die GBIF-API, species/match)
- RHS (Guy Barter): Three ways to use companion planting
- Oregon State University Extension: Companion Planting (Guides for beginning gardeners, Juni 2021)
- Gartenakademie Rheinland-Pfalz (DLR): Anbauplanung im Gemüsegarten (o. J.)
- BUND: Mischkultur – Gute und schlechte Nachbarn (August 2026)
- Gartenakademie Rheinland-Pfalz (DLR): Übersicht – Kultur verschiedener Gemüsearten im Hausgarten (o. J.)
- Oregon State University Extension: Herbs and Flowers in the Vegetable Garden (o. J.)
Retrieved on 23 October 2026. Facts in our own words, one source per value.