Your Kitchen Garden: Planting lettuce

You can grow your own young plants from seed, or buy them from nurseries and garden centres. Lettuce makes an ideal quick crop to grow between other vegetables before they mature, or at the front of flowerbeds and in pots.

How to do it
Water young lettuce plants an hour before planting. Knock them from their seed trays or pots, taking care not to damage the roots. Use a length of straight timber or string to keep them in line, where necessary.
Plant lettuce with a trowel ensuring that the top of the rootball is at the same level as the surrounding soil.
Fill soil around the roots and firm it in position using the tips of your fingers. Space plants 15cm - 30cm apart (check the label or seed packet for individual instructions.)  Plant in rows between other vegetables or in blocks. Water well after planting and at two-day intervals in dry weather.