How to Sow Lettuce Seeds

Overview

Lettuce is a favorite among home garden edibles, mostly because it is easy to grow and gives a continuous crop throughout the spring and summer. With just a few plants, you can have a fresh salad every day during the warm months. Sowing lettuce seeds is simple, as long as you space them correctly to ensure proper growth. You can sow lettuce seeds over and over again all summer long.

Step 1

Plant your lettuce seeds in soil containing a good amount of nitrogen. You can amend your soil with a nitrogen-based fertilizer if necessary.

Step 2

Sow the lettuce seeds approximately four weeks before the last expected frost. This is when the soil is pliable enough to be worked.

Step 3

Plant your lettuce seeds in groups of three or four seeds one-eight to one-half of an inch deep. Space the seeds six inches apart in rows that are six inches to one foot apart. Cover the seeds with fine, loose soil and press down. Keep the soil moist until the seeds sprout.

Step 4

Locate your early spring plantings in full sunlight. In summer, plant your lettuce seeds in partial shade.

Step 5

Sow your lettuce seeds every three weeks instead of one large planting. This will ensure a continuous crop all summer long. Thin out your lettuce to ensure that the plants remain at least six inches apart in all directions.