Lettuce Spacing Calculator: How Much Space Does Lettuce Need?

The spacing of lettuce varies according to the kind of lettuce that one grows. Head lettuce usually requires 10 to 12 inches between the plants while leaf lettuce does well with 6 to 9 inches. Romaine and butterhead types normally require 6 to 8 inches of space.

For bigger kinds, like iceberg lettuce, one should thin it to around 12 inches apart when the seedlings already came up. Spacing is not exact science however the plants should be far enough apart to reach their full size.

How to Space and Plant Lettuce

When one uses direct sowing in rows, the seeds can be laid two inches from one another, with rows separated by 12 to 18 inches. Do not bury the seeds too deeply, because they need light to sprout. In direct sowing, one can plant about 10 seeds per foot, which works well.

Later, the seedlings of leaf lettuce should be thinned to around 4 inches from one anohter.

Leaf and butterhead lettuce is commonly planted in three or four rows per bed, with bed distances of 66 to 72 inches center. The spacing inside rows usually ranges between 9 and 12 inches, according to the type and the wanted head size. For big heads, space the lettuce at least at 8 inches.

Commercial farming advises 8-inch spacing for healthier plants, although it results in fewer heads overall.

For baby greens and ongoing harvest of lettuce, the spacing can be much more dense. One can place the seeds along the row almost without gap. Thinning to around 2 inches from one another works well, when one harvests only the baby leaves rather then full heads.

Plants spaced at 3 to 4 inches also work, when one commonly picks the outside leaves to slow the growth a little.

Lettuce grows well in raised beds, which makes it great for small areas. In square foot garden, one commonly plants lettuce each 6 inches in all directions, so that 4 plants fit each square. Bib-lettuce gives a smaller head than most types, so three of them can fit one square instead of two.

Romaine lettuce grows tall and narrow, so it needs less side space than the broader kinds.

Growing lettuce between onions and carrots uses the spaces smartly. Those tall root vegetables do not compete much with shallow greens, and their roots go down without spreading. Shallow rooted lettuce well fills the gaps and can be harvested as needed.

Lettuce likes a bit of shade and wants the ground around it to stay wet. Tomatoes can give that shade during the sunny days.

Good airflow around the plants is important. Right spacing helps to prevent common diseases, like gray mold, root rot and leaf decay. For growing in pots, plant at least 6 inches deep and in a foot planter, which gives enough lettuce for a regular salad weekly.

Lettuce grows quickly, keeps giving andis not very demanding, if one waters it well.