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(Best months for planting Lettuce in Australia - cool/mountain regions)

• Easy to grow.
• Harvest in 60-85 days
• Sow in garden, or start in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks.. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
• Best planted at soil temperatures between 8°C and 27°C.
• Space plants: 20-30cm

Lettuce offer a range of shapes, sizes and colours but they are all easy to grow. Choose a variety marked on the seed packet as suitable for the time of year as some do badly in the very hot months. Try to provide some shade to prevent them 'bolting' to flower and seed in the hottest months.

Sow in rows and use thinnings as small salad greens

Lettuce are shallow rooted so water daily in hot or dry weather to prevent bitter flavour. and bolting.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Lettuce

Wash well, spin or shake dry and use in salads and sandwiches

Your comments and tips

25 Jun 09 SWAY (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

at school we are makeing a vegie garden and where planting lettuce . we think the best way to plant lettuce os to collect boxes and milk containers and plant the seeds in them

30 Jun 09 valerie tasmania (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

nothing better than a great looking lettuce from the home garden.fresh clean and tasty to plant the best plants ,water and watch them devolep

02 Jul 09 brian (Australia - tropical climate)

i live on the tropic of capricorn line,,what type of lettuce would do the best in this area.. i was thinking of haveing a rised garden as the soil here is quite clayey..behind my shed (LARGE) is my choice as it get afternoon shade there..

16 Aug 09 Jaime (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Anyone have an organic remedy for aphids on lettuces?

12 Sep 09 Alison (Australia - temperate climate)

Jaime, 100gm chopped garlic head soaked in 2 tsp veg oil for 24 hours. Mix 2 tsp liquid detergent to 1/2 ltr water and mix the lot together and stand for 24 hrs. Drain and label and put in fridge. Add 5ml to 1 ltr water to spray on crop.

30 Oct 09 Andris (Australia - temperate climate)

David, you can find May Queen lettuce at either: www.theitaliangardener.com.au which has it as Reggina di Maggio of Franchi Sementi (Italian), or at www.vilmorin.com.au (French). You can order from either of their websites, or they both sell their stock through quite a few retail outlets. Franchi (and other Italian seed companies) you will tend to find in Italian and continental delis, and I know Vilmorin packs are available through Mitre 10 here in SA, but check their website. Both these companies have extremely generous amounts of seed too for lettuce (7,000-10,000 per pack), at around $3.50-$4.30. Check out their other lettuces too like Lolla Rossa, Four seasons wonder and heaps of others.

02 Nov 09 Bianca (Australia - temperate climate)

My baby butterhead was planted about 2 months ago and they started growing really well, then really slowed down. They are quite yellow now and the leaves are tough. Should I pull them out, or will they recover? It has been quite hot in Perth the last few weeks. I'm not sure whether they haven't had enough water, or whether I've over watered them!

12 Jan 10 Kirsten (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Hi, I planted lots of mixed lettuces. They were doing really well but then they all bolted to seed except the red ones. I was wondering whether if I just chop them back they will keep producing leaves or do I have to pull them out and start again?

24 Jan 10 Barb (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Unfortunately the bolted lettuce leaves will be bitter, but do let some go to flower, because their flowers will encourage good insects into your garden who will help keep pests at bay. Lettuce grows better in the shade at this time of year - or just stick to the red varieties!

27 Jan 10 Evelyn (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Jaime, I had the same problem with those small whitefly and little black bugs on my perpetual lettuce. The thing that worked well for me was the yellow sticky sheets from Green Harvest. I think you can get them in other places as well. Just tie the sheets onto a stick amongst the lettuce, close to the leaf crop and next day the sheet is covered in bugs. It only attracts those nasty bugs as the good bugs don't appear to be affected. Safe and organic. Hope that helps. Like Barb I grow most of my summer lettuce in the shade under a tree or in pots near the back deck. Works well and less likely to bolt. Perpetual Lettuce is also good for summer as it does not bolt.