Lettuce

1. 1

   Sow indoors or direct

   Indoors from February in modules under glass; direct from late March outdoors. Successional sowings every 2–3 weeks until early August give a continuous crop. Sow thinly — lettuce seed is light and easy to over-sow.

2. 2

   Thin or transplant

   When seedlings are 5 cm tall with two true leaves, thin to 25 cm apart for full-size heads, 15 cm for cut-and-come-again looseleaf types. Water in well.

3. 3

   Protect from slugs

   Slugs love lettuce above all else. Apply nematodes (Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita) to warm moist soil two weeks before transplanting. Beer traps near the bed help. Check at dusk in damp weather and hand-pick. Copper rings around modules in the early stages.

4. 4

   Water and mulch

   Lettuce wants consistent moisture. Water in the morning, never in the evening (slug-attractor). Mulch with grass clippings to retain moisture and suppress weeds.

5. 5

   Provide afternoon shade in summer

   From late June onwards, lettuce bolts in heat above 25°C. Plant under taller crops (sweetcorn, beans) or use shade netting in really hot weeks. Cool-season cultivars survive heat better than hot.

6. 6

   Pick or cut

   Looseleaf types: pick outer leaves regularly, the centre keeps producing for weeks. Hearting types (Cos, butterhead, iceberg): cut the whole head at the base when firm. Pick in the cool of the morning for crispest leaves.

7. 7

   Choose bolt-resistant varieties for summer

   For July to August sowings, use Lobjoits Green Cos, Webbs Wonderful, Reine de Glace, or Salad Bowl mixes. Standard butterheads bolt in summer heat.

Slugs, aphids, and lettuce root aphid are common; downy mildew in damp weather.