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How to grow loose-leaf lettuce

Takes light frost · Daisy family

When to sow and plant

  • Sow outdoors 29 March – 5 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)

Good and bad neighbours

Good neighbours · 4

  • 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

  • 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

Gardeners’ lore, not proven · 1

  • AsparagusLore: good· D

    Traditional advice, not tested.

    D: Tradition, named by at least two sources

    Asparagus

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)
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 40–50 days from sowing

Spacing according to LfULG Sachsen: Gartensalate – Anbau im Haus- und Kleingarten. Other sources: 30 × 15 cm (12 × 6 in) (RHS Grow your own: Lettuce).

Questions and answers

When can I sow loose-leaf lettuce?

Sow outdoors, average for Germany: 29 March – 5 April. Enter a German postcode above for your area, or your own frost date in the planting calendar.

How far apart should I plant loose-leaf lettuce?

25 × 25 cm (10 × 10 in) (row × plant), according to LfULG Sachsen: Gartensalate – Anbau im Haus- und Kleingarten.

What grows well next to loose-leaf 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 Asparagus: Gardeners’ lore, not proven (D).

How long a break do loose-leaf 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
  1. Purdue Extension HO-66-W: The Fall Vegetable Garden, Table 2
  2. Cornell Home Gardening: Growing Guide Lettuce
  3. LfULG Sachsen: Gartensalate – Anbau im Haus- und Kleingarten
  4. RHS Grow your own: Lettuce
  5. UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners Tulare-Kings: How to Square Foot Garden
  6. USU Extension: Lettuce in the Garden
  7. NC State Extension Gardener Handbook, Ch. 16, Table 16–4
  8. Südtiroler Bauernbund: Merkblatt Fruchtfolgen im Gemüsebau (Oktober 2022)
  9. Landwirtschaftskammer Schleswig-Holstein: Fruchtfolge im Garten (Gartenmerkblatt, 2020)
  10. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (über die GBIF-API, species/match)
  11. RHS (Guy Barter): Three ways to use companion planting
  12. Oregon State University Extension: Companion Planting (Guides for beginning gardeners, Juni 2021)
  13. Gartenakademie Rheinland-Pfalz (DLR): Anbauplanung im Gemüsegarten (o. J.)
  14. BUND: Mischkultur – Gute und schlechte Nachbarn (August 2026)
  15. 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.