Lettuce

Light

Sunny, Part sun

Pot size

Small pot (up to about 5 litres); needs at least 1.9 litres and 15.2 cm of depth

Care level

Moderate

Year round or seasonal

Seasonal crop for cool weather

Pets

Pet safety not confirmed

Light and position

Full sun or part shade; in hot weather NC State suggests about 3 to 4 hours of sun and shade for the rest of the day.

Size and pot

NC State: a container of at least 2 quarts (about 1.9 litres), 6 to 8 inches deep. Our pot band: small pot (up to about 5 litres). A band is only a rough fit: the published minimum volume and depth above apply whatever the band. Check your pot with the volume calculator.

Watering

Keep the soil consistently moist; dry soil makes it bolt.

Potting mix and feeding

Well-drained mix. Sow seed 1/4 to 3/8 inch deep.

Growing through the year

A cool-season crop. NC State says temperatures of 70 to 80 °F (about 21 to 27 °C) can make it bolt and turn bitter. Leaf types are ready 50 to 60 days from seed; pick outer leaves for a longer harvest.

NC State’s vegetable handbook says cool-season vegetables thrive when temperatures fall below about 21 °C (70 °F), so grow it in your cooler months.

Watch for

Aphids and caterpillars; damping-off of seedlings and mildews.

Pets and people

We did not find an ASPCA entry, and NC State gives no pet rating, so pet safety is not confirmed.

General gardening information, not professional advice. Plant toxicity details are a starting point, not veterinary or medical advice: if a pet or child may have eaten a plant, contact a veterinarian or doctor promptly.

Care level: NC State’s maintenance rating (Medium). Pot band and summary wording are ours, based on the sources below.