How to Grow Lettuce Indoors
Choose a lettuce variety well-suited for container gardening., Select a medium-sized plastic pot., Clean your container, especially if it once held another plant or object., Select a standard potting soil for your lettuce., Fill the pot with soil...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose a lettuce variety well-suited for container gardening.
Loose-leaf varieties are the easiest to grow indoors, especially if the name includes "baby" or "little." -
Step 2: Select a medium-sized plastic pot.
Lettuce does not have a particularly deep root system, so a medium container should offer plenty of room.
Plastic works better than terracotta clay pots, since clay absorbs water and dries out the soil faster than plastic.
If using a clay pot, line the pot with a plastic shopping bag before you plant your lettuce seeds.
Make holes in the plastic bag to allow water to drain.
Make sure that the container has drainage holes.
These holes will allow excess water to escape if you water the plant from the surface.
Holes also allow you to use a watering tray technique which is especially beneficial for lettuce plants. , Bacteria and insect eggs could be lurking inside the pot, waiting to destroy your plants.
Standard soap and warm water should kill most potential threats, but you can also wash your container out with a solution made of nine parts water and one part bleach for a more thorough cleansing. , Loose-leaf lettuce is about as "no fuss" as a vegetable can be, so you don't need anything fancy.
A standard all-purpose potting mix should work just fine.
Avoid using dirt from your garden, however, since this may contain bacteria and insects that could damage your crop. , Fill it high, but not to the very top.
You should leave about an inch (2.5 centimeters) or so of empty space in between the surface of your soil and the rim of the container. , Lettuce seeds are small, so the pile of seeds in your hand should look relatively small, as well. , You do not need to get all the seeds with your first pinch.
A small amount is enough to start with. , Try to avoid dropping too many in the exact same spot, but you do not need to worry too much about how far apart the seeds are spaced at this point in time. , Pinch the seeds in between your index finger and thumb and sprinkle them over the soil. , Only cover the seeds with 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch (1/3-centimeter to 2/3-centimeter) of soil.
If you use any more soil than that, the seeds will not be able to receive the light they need to germinate. , The soil should be thoroughly moist, but not soaked. , The soil needs to remain continually moist in order to germinate.
Germination should occur within one or two weeks. , The lettuce may need more or less frequent watering, depending on how warm and sunny your home is.
Check the soil frequently by sticking your fingertip into the top 1/2-inch (1 1/4 centimeters).
If it feels dry, the lettuce may be due for another watering.
Consider tray-watering the lettuce.
Place a tray or saucer of water beneath the container and allow the water to travel into the soil via the drainage holes.
By watering from the bottom up, you may have more success in preventing root rot and fungal disease. , A room temperature set at 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (16 to 21 degrees Celsius) is ideal.
Drop the temperature by 10 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius) at night to mimic natural conditions. , Lettuce seedlings need 14 to 16 hours of bright light in order to grow full, bushy leaves. , If you cannot provide the lettuce seedlings with enough natural light, place the container 4 inches (10 centimeters) beneath a grow light and keep the seedlings there for 14 hours.
Turn the light off once this amount of time passes, however, since lettuce plants will not do well under 24-hour light. , Pull out the weakest seedlings, keeping a 3-inch (7.62 centimeters) space in between the remaining plants to give them adequate room to mature.
Instead of throwing away the "reject" seedlings, transplant them into separate containers or harvest them for consumption.
Lettuce seedlings are edible and taste very similar to mature lettuce leaves. , Lettuce is a hearty enough plant to thrive on its own, but a mild fertilizer, mixed with equal parts water to cut it down to half-strength, can increase your yield even more.
Apply the fertilizer solution to the seedlings once a week for three weeks, and then discontinue use. , Immature leaves are just as safe and delicious as mature leaves.
Immature lettuce tastes just as good as mature lettuce.
As soon as the leaf size is to your liking, you can begin to harvest the outer leaves.
Leave the inner leaves alone so that they can develop further.
You may need to wait about 4 to 6 weeks for the lettuce to mature if you prefer to harvest a fully mature head of lettuce.
Collect the leaves individually, pulling the outer leaves out first and gradually working inward.
Mature lettuce "bolts" or produces seed quickly, however, and must be harvested before this occurs.
Bolted lettuce has a bitter taste. -
Step 3: Clean your container
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Step 4: especially if it once held another plant or object.
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Step 5: Select a standard potting soil for your lettuce.
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Step 6: Fill the pot with soil.
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Step 7: Pour one or two dozen lettuce seeds into your non-dominant hand.
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Step 8: Pinch the seeds in between your index finger and thumb on your dominant hand.
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Step 9: Sprinkle the seeds in your dominant hand over the top of the soil.
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Step 10: Repeat the pinching and sprinkling procedure until you use up your original pile of seeds.
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Step 11: Sprinkle additional potting soil over the seeds.
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Step 12: Use a spray bottle to spritz the seeds with water.
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Step 13: Mist the lettuce seeds each morning.
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Step 14: Water the plant every other day to keep the soil moist.
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Step 15: Keep the lettuce cool.
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Step 16: Place the seedlings in the sunniest window you have.
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Step 17: Invest in a fluorescent grow light.
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Step 18: Thin seedlings after they get their second set of leaves.
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Step 19: Use a mild fertilizer
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Step 20: if desired.
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Step 21: Harvest loose-leaf lettuce as you need it or all at once.
Detailed Guide
Loose-leaf varieties are the easiest to grow indoors, especially if the name includes "baby" or "little."
Lettuce does not have a particularly deep root system, so a medium container should offer plenty of room.
Plastic works better than terracotta clay pots, since clay absorbs water and dries out the soil faster than plastic.
If using a clay pot, line the pot with a plastic shopping bag before you plant your lettuce seeds.
Make holes in the plastic bag to allow water to drain.
Make sure that the container has drainage holes.
These holes will allow excess water to escape if you water the plant from the surface.
Holes also allow you to use a watering tray technique which is especially beneficial for lettuce plants. , Bacteria and insect eggs could be lurking inside the pot, waiting to destroy your plants.
Standard soap and warm water should kill most potential threats, but you can also wash your container out with a solution made of nine parts water and one part bleach for a more thorough cleansing. , Loose-leaf lettuce is about as "no fuss" as a vegetable can be, so you don't need anything fancy.
A standard all-purpose potting mix should work just fine.
Avoid using dirt from your garden, however, since this may contain bacteria and insects that could damage your crop. , Fill it high, but not to the very top.
You should leave about an inch (2.5 centimeters) or so of empty space in between the surface of your soil and the rim of the container. , Lettuce seeds are small, so the pile of seeds in your hand should look relatively small, as well. , You do not need to get all the seeds with your first pinch.
A small amount is enough to start with. , Try to avoid dropping too many in the exact same spot, but you do not need to worry too much about how far apart the seeds are spaced at this point in time. , Pinch the seeds in between your index finger and thumb and sprinkle them over the soil. , Only cover the seeds with 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch (1/3-centimeter to 2/3-centimeter) of soil.
If you use any more soil than that, the seeds will not be able to receive the light they need to germinate. , The soil should be thoroughly moist, but not soaked. , The soil needs to remain continually moist in order to germinate.
Germination should occur within one or two weeks. , The lettuce may need more or less frequent watering, depending on how warm and sunny your home is.
Check the soil frequently by sticking your fingertip into the top 1/2-inch (1 1/4 centimeters).
If it feels dry, the lettuce may be due for another watering.
Consider tray-watering the lettuce.
Place a tray or saucer of water beneath the container and allow the water to travel into the soil via the drainage holes.
By watering from the bottom up, you may have more success in preventing root rot and fungal disease. , A room temperature set at 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (16 to 21 degrees Celsius) is ideal.
Drop the temperature by 10 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius) at night to mimic natural conditions. , Lettuce seedlings need 14 to 16 hours of bright light in order to grow full, bushy leaves. , If you cannot provide the lettuce seedlings with enough natural light, place the container 4 inches (10 centimeters) beneath a grow light and keep the seedlings there for 14 hours.
Turn the light off once this amount of time passes, however, since lettuce plants will not do well under 24-hour light. , Pull out the weakest seedlings, keeping a 3-inch (7.62 centimeters) space in between the remaining plants to give them adequate room to mature.
Instead of throwing away the "reject" seedlings, transplant them into separate containers or harvest them for consumption.
Lettuce seedlings are edible and taste very similar to mature lettuce leaves. , Lettuce is a hearty enough plant to thrive on its own, but a mild fertilizer, mixed with equal parts water to cut it down to half-strength, can increase your yield even more.
Apply the fertilizer solution to the seedlings once a week for three weeks, and then discontinue use. , Immature leaves are just as safe and delicious as mature leaves.
Immature lettuce tastes just as good as mature lettuce.
As soon as the leaf size is to your liking, you can begin to harvest the outer leaves.
Leave the inner leaves alone so that they can develop further.
You may need to wait about 4 to 6 weeks for the lettuce to mature if you prefer to harvest a fully mature head of lettuce.
Collect the leaves individually, pulling the outer leaves out first and gradually working inward.
Mature lettuce "bolts" or produces seed quickly, however, and must be harvested before this occurs.
Bolted lettuce has a bitter taste.
About the Author
Douglas Hill
Writer and educator with a focus on practical cooking knowledge.
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