Planting out young lettuces

Planting out young lettuces

Lettuces need the right amount of space to thrive. In this lesson, I'll explain how to get the spacing right and how to protect them if the temperature drops.

Once your young plants are well developed then it's time to plant them out in your vegetable patch. I'm planting out these lettuce plants in mid-spring because they can tolerate a little bit of frost. However, if the temperature was due to get very low I would cover my young plants with some horticultural fleece.

When to plant out seedlings

The best time to plant out your seedlings will depend on their frost hardiness. Hardy veg crops such as kale and cabbages can withstand frosty nights, whereas tender crops like tomatoes and courgettes will be damaged or even die if they are out in frosty weather.

To ensure the survival of your seedlings, make sure you wait until after the last frost (this will vary depending on where you live) to plant out your tender crops.

You may be able to find out the last frost date of a previous year from a green-fingered neighbour. This will give you a good indication of when to plant your seeds

Getting the spacing right

When it is time to plant out your young plants it's important to follow the recommended spacing guidelines for your plants. Although they may look tiny now, you have to consider the size of your plants when they are fully grown and make sure they have enough room to grow to their maximum size.

This will also ensure your plant has good airflow which will help it to stay healthy as it grows and develops.

Making the holes and spacing correctly

• Using a dibber or a trowel, decide where you want to place your first plant and then measure 20 cm across so you can place your second plant and so on.
• I space my lettuce 20 cm apart as I like to pick and eat the leaves when they are still quite small. But if you want to harvest your lettuce as a whole head of lettuce then you will need to leave more space between each plant.
• Once you have all your holes marked out, fill each hole with a generous amount of water using a can without a rose.
• Remove your lettuce from the module seed tray and loosen the roots slightly before placing each one into a hole.
• Firm each plant into place and then pop the label next to one of your plants so you can remember what you are growing there.
• Water your lettuce generously.
• Erect some cloche hoops over your bed so that if the temperature looks like it is going to drop then you will be able to throw some horticultural fleece over your bed quickly.
• If you don't have cloche hoops and fleece you can also cover your lettuce plants with plastic bags overnight to keep in the heat. Just remember to remove them as soon as the temperature has risen again.