Lettuce seed tips
Using lettuce seeds to grow your own means you can fill your salad bowl with tasty, fresh leaves all summer. Sow a little every few weeks to have a continuous supply without gluts. Winter varieties, including ‘All The Year Round’ and ‘Winter Density’, will give you an early harvest.
Read our expert lettuce growing tips and browse our choice of salad plants for further inspiration. Or find answers to your frequently asked lettuce seed questions below.
Which varieties can I grow over winter for a year-round supply?
The best varieties to grow for a year-round harvest are specifically bred for hardiness, such as Lettuce 'Winter Density' and Lettuce 'Brighton Winter Butterhead'. As its name suggests, Lettuce 'All The Year Round' is also a good choice for autumn sowing to get an early spring crop.
Which lettuce is best for 'cut and come again' harvesting?
This works best with loose-leaf types. The Lettuce 'Salad Bowl' (both green and red varieties) and the frilly 'Lollo Rossa' and 'Lollo Bionda' are perfect for this. The various Lettuce 'Mix' packs are also ideal as they contain a range of leaf types to harvest over many weeks.
Which of your lettuce seeds are organic?
For those who prefer to grow organically, we have several excellent choices. You can get the UK's favourite, Lettuce 'Little Gem - Organic Seeds', or the very similar Lettuce 'Little Gem Delight Organic Seed'. For an early-cropping butterhead, choose Lettuce 'May King’ Organic Seeds, or for a variety of leaf shapes and colours, the Lettuce Mix Organic Seeds is a perfect choice.
Which lettuce is best for growing in pots or small spaces?
Choosing a compact variety is key for container growing. The classic choice is Lettuce 'Tom Thumb', a miniature butterhead that forms tiny, perfect heads. The nation's favourite, Lettuce 'Little Gem', is another superb option as its upright, compact habit takes up very little space.
