Vegetables/Easy
Lettuce
Lactuca sativa
Lettuce is the fastest, most rewarding vegetable for beginners: from seed to salad bowl in a month. Sow a short row every two to three weeks from March to September and you will never buy a bag of leaves again.
It hates heat — anything above 25°C makes it bolt to seed and turn bitter. In summer, sow in afternoon shade and pick 'cut-and-come-again' loose-leaf varieties like Salad Bowl or Lollo Rossa, which regrow after each harvest.
Year at a glance
Common problems
Sudden tall flower stalk (bolting)
Heat stress. Sow in a shadier spot and pick bolt-resistant varieties in summer.
Ragged holes chewed through leaves
Slugs and snails. Water in the morning (not evening) and use wool pellets or beer traps.
White powdery patches on leaves
Powdery mildew. Improve airflow and water at soil level, never on leaves.
Full guide: Powdery Mildew →Questions, answered
How do I stop my lettuce bolting?+
Sow in cooler months (spring and autumn), give afternoon shade in summer, keep soil consistently moist, and pick bolt-resistant varieties.
Cut-and-come-again — how does it work?+
Snip outer leaves 3 cm above the crown and leave the centre intact. The plant regrows fresh leaves for another 2–3 harvests.
Can I grow lettuce indoors?+
Yes — a bright windowsill or a small grow light gives excellent results for microgreen and baby-leaf varieties.