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How to grow iceberg 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 area
Where 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 · 3

  • Sweet alyssumStudy· B

    Sweet alyssum draws beneficial insects that eat aphids; lettuce next to it had fewer aphids.

    B: Hint from one study

    Sweet alyssum

  • TomatoExpert rule· C

    Lettuce bolts in heat; in the shade of tall tomatoes it stays tender longer.

    C: Expert rule with a reason

    Tomato

  • 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

    Sweetcorn

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)
46 × 30 cm (18 × 12 in)
Plants per m²
7.2
Life cycle
Annual
Harvest
After 70–85 days from sowing

Questions and answers

When can I plant out iceberg 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 iceberg lettuce?

46 × 30 cm (18 × 12 in) (row × plant), according to Cornell Home Gardening: Growing Guide Lettuce.

What grows well next to iceberg lettuce?

Sweet alyssum: Good neighbour (B), Tomato: Good neighbour (C) and Sweetcorn: Good neighbour (C).

How long a break do iceberg 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 12 sources
  1. Südtiroler Bauernbund: Merkblatt Fruchtfolgen im Gemüsebau (Oktober 2022)
  2. Purdue Extension HO-66-W: The Fall Vegetable Garden, Table 2
  3. Cornell Home Gardening: Growing Guide Lettuce
  4. USU Extension: Lettuce in the Garden
  5. NC State Extension Gardener Handbook, Ch. 16, Table 16–4
  6. Landwirtschaftskammer Schleswig-Holstein: Fruchtfolge im Garten (Gartenmerkblatt, 2020)
  7. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (über die GBIF-API, species/match)
  8. RHS (Guy Barter): Three ways to use companion planting
  9. Oregon State University Extension: Companion Planting (Guides for beginning gardeners, Juni 2021)
  10. Gartenakademie Rheinland-Pfalz (DLR): Anbauplanung im Gemüsegarten (o. J.)
  11. BUND: Mischkultur – Gute und schlechte Nachbarn (August 2026)
  12. Gartenakademie Rheinland-Pfalz (DLR): Übersicht – Kultur verschiedener Gemüsearten im Hausgarten (o. J.)

Retrieved on 23 October 2026. Facts in our own words, one source per value.