Lettuce is a cool-weather lover that grows well in both spring and fall garden. In fact, when I plant lettuce in my fall garden, I can often take it all the way through the winter. And yes, I can read your mind and I hear you mumbling “Easy for you to say, Native Californian, some of us gardeners have real weather to contend with!” That may be so. Some of you have some incredibly low temperatures. Still, many of you have have winter weather that can be dealt with.

Believe it or not, those of us that living in Northern California see some very low temps that dip below freezing. We also get hail and snow. Yes, snow. Maybe not Minnesota-type snow, but I promise it’s not the stuff that gardens are made of!

I use a cold frame, hoop house, or unheated greenhouse to grow my fall-through-winter lettuce—and you may be able to do the same. Even if you can’t grow it in the deep winter, you can still plant in late summer and have many a lettuce harvest in fall. They also grow well planted in containers that are placed in a protected area.

This annual plant that belongs to the sunflower family and that fact alone makes me feel cheery inside. They can be directly seeded (my favorite way to plant lettuce for fall) or started weeks early indoors (my preferred technique for spring). Plant them in loose, well-drained soil and keep them evenly watered. It can be grown in any growing zone, although like all vegetables there will be varieties that perform optimally in your area. Ask your cooperative extension office which varieties enjoy your area, ask a local nursery, ask your neighbors or community gardens.

Lettuce one of my favorite crops to use for succession planting because it comes to harvest so quickly. Depending on the variety, you can go from seed-to-salad in a month. Imagine the bounty when you stagger your harvest by planting seeds row-by-row at one week intervals.

Lettuce Types

Before choosing your varieties, you should know that there are four basic lettuce “types” to choose from. Keep in mind that the type of lettuce will determine how you harvest them. When you grow head lettuces, the entire lettuce head is harvested when it’s mature. Romaine and loose leaf types can be harvested slowly by picking the outer leaves of the plant while the center leaves are left to grow.

• Butterhead, Boston, or Bibb varieties produce leaves that form loose heads. Examples of butterhead lettuces are ‘Buttercrunch’ and ‘Speckles’.
• Romaine or Cos lettuce has upright leaves that tolerates a fair amount of heat. It’s the lettuce with the most nutrition. Examples of Romaine lettuces are ‘Rouge d’Hiver’ and Little Gem’.
• Loose leaf lettuces don’t make a head, but rather a rosette shape. It can take some heat. Examples of loose leaf lettuces are ‘Black-seeded Simpson’ and ‘Oakleaf’.
• Crispheads, icebergs, and Batavians need the weather to stay cool in order to form proper heads. Examples of crisphead lettuces are ‘Summertime’ and ‘Nevada’.

Favorite Fall Lettuce Varieties

I love to mix up lettuce textures and flavors—and I adore the heirloom varieties. Believe it or not, lettuces come in a wide variety of all three. Some of my favorites are:

• ‘Mascara’—loose leaf
• ‘Drunken Woman Frizzy-Headed’—loose leaf
• ‘Rouge d’Hiver’—romaine
• ‘Merveille des Quatre Saisons’  (Marvel of Four Seasons)—Bibb
• ‘May Queen’—butterhead
• ‘Speckled Bibb’—butterhead
• ‘Grand Rapids’—loose leaf
• ‘Black-seeded Simpson’—loose leaf

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

The New Organic Grower, 3rd Edition: A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener, 30th Anniversary Edition

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Since its original publication in 1989, The New Organic Grower has been one of the most important farming books available, with pioneer Eliot Coleman leading the charge in the organic movement in the United States. Now fully illustrated and updated, this 30th Anniversary Edition is a must-have for any agricultural library.

Buy at Amazon

Berry & Bird Rabbiting Spade, Trenching Shovel

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Ideal Tool for All Gardeners Use: Our heavy duty trenching shovel is designed by a professional gardening tool designer. Lifetime Durability: This heavy duty drain spade is made of high-quality stainless steel, it is very strong and durable, even if it is used for high-strength work, it will not bend. Ergonomic Wood Handle: The handle of this planting spade is made of ash hardwood harvested from FSC-certified forests and has an ergonomically streamlined design, making it very suitable for everyone's hands. Multi-Use: This digging shovel is generally used for digging trenches, digging holes, transplanting, edging, moving compost, cutting thick turf and furrowing. The sharp blade allows you to cut, scoop, dig, lift and dice in hard soil.

Buy at Amazon

A.M. Leonard Deluxe Soil Knife & Leather Sheath Combo

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

MULTITASKING DUAL EDGES: a deep serrated edge and a tapered slicing edge ideal for tough or delicate cuts. DURABLE 6-inch stainless steel blade withstands 300 lbs of pressure. TWINE CUTTING NOTCH, DEPTH GAUGE MARKINGS & spear point - no need to switch tools when using this garden knife. LEATHER SHEATH: heavy duty, protective, clip on sheath to keep your knife convenient and secure. LIFETIME WARRANTY.

Buy at Amazon