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When to plant red leaf lettuce

Daisy family, Lactuca sativa

Spacing
8″ apart
Per sq ft
4
To harvest
45–55 days
Frost
Light frost OK

Companion plants for red leaf lettuce

What to grow next to red leaf lettuce, what to keep away, and what is only tradition. Every pairing says how strong the evidence is.

Grow together 16

Helps, or shares the bed well.

  • Tomato Practical Lettuce fills the bare soil around young tomatoes and is picked before the tomatoes shade it out. Later, the tomatoes give lettuce welcome afternoon shade.

    Tomato guide

  • Cherry tomato Practical Lettuce fills the bare soil around young tomatoes and is picked before the tomatoes shade it out. Later, the tomatoes give lettuce welcome afternoon shade.

    Cherry tomato guide

  • Cucumber Practical Lettuce grows in the shade at the foot of a cucumber trellis.

    Cucumber guide

  • Broccoli Practical Lettuce uses the space between widely spaced brassicas and is picked before they close in.

    Broccoli guide

  • Cauliflower Practical Lettuce uses the space between widely spaced brassicas and is picked before they close in.

    Cauliflower guide

  • Cabbage Practical Lettuce uses the space between widely spaced brassicas and is picked before they close in.

    Cabbage guide

  • Kale Practical Lettuce uses the space between widely spaced brassicas and is picked before they close in.

    Kale guide

  • Brussels sprouts Practical Lettuce uses the space between widely spaced brassicas and is picked before they close in.

    Brussels sprouts guide

  • Bok choy Practical Lettuce uses the space between widely spaced brassicas and is picked before they close in.

    Bok choy guide

  • Kohlrabi Practical Lettuce uses the space between widely spaced brassicas and is picked before they close in.

    Kohlrabi guide

  • Carrot Practical Shallow-rooted lettuce and deep-rooted carrots share a bed without competing.

    Source: Gardening with Companion Plants (EM128E), Linda Chalker-Scott, Washington State University Extension, 2023. Carrot guide

  • Beet Practical Different shapes and rooting depths; easy to interplant.

    Beet guide

  • Sunflower Practical Tall crops give lettuce the afternoon shade that slows bolting in summer.

    Sunflower guide

  • Sweet corn Practical Tall crops give lettuce the afternoon shade that slows bolting in summer.

    Sweet corn guide

  • Pole bean Practical Tall crops give lettuce the afternoon shade that slows bolting in summer.

    Pole bean guide

  • Calendula Practical Flowers bring aphid predators into the bed.

    Source: Gardening with Companion Plants (EM128E), Linda Chalker-Scott, Washington State University Extension, 2023. Calendula guide

Tradition only 2

On many charts, with little or no evidence.

  • Chives Tradition Said to help Said to keep aphids off lettuce. Aphid repellence by scent has not been shown.

    Chives guide

  • Green onion Tradition Said to help Said to keep aphids off lettuce. Aphid repellence by scent has not been shown.

    Green onion guide

Studied Field or lab research shows an effect, at least under some conditions.
Mixed Some studies find an effect, others don’t, or it only works in a narrow way.
Practical Explained by light, space, timing, support or a shared pest or disease.
Tradition Widely repeated, but with little or no evidence behind it.

See every pairing side by side in the companion planting chart, or try them in a bed with the garden planner.

When to plant red leaf lettuce by city

Start red leaf lettuce indoors 4–6 weeks before your last frost, plant them out from 2 weeks before to 1 week after your last frost, or sow seed outdoors from 4 weeks before to 2 weeks after your last frost. For a fall crop, sow 6–8 weeks before your first fall frost. Here is what that means for 2027 in cities across the US, using each city’s average frost dates (NOAA 1991–2020). Pick the city with the climate most like yours, or enter your ZIP code above.

City Last frost Start indoors Plant out Sow outdoors Fall crop
Seattle, WA (9a) Mar 13 Jan 30 – Feb 13 Feb 27 – Mar 20 Feb 13 – Mar 27 Sep 22 – Oct 6
Portland, OR (8b) Feb 25 Jan 14–28 Feb 11 – Mar 4 Jan 28 – Mar 11 Oct 6–20
Sacramento, CA (9b) Jan 12 Dec 1–15 Dec 29 – Jan 19 Dec 15 – Jan 26 Oct 21 – Nov 4
Phoenix, AZ (10a) Jan 5 Nov 24 – Dec 8 Dec 22 – Jan 12 Dec 8 – Jan 19 Nov 8–22
Salt Lake City, UT (7b) Mar 31 Feb 17 – Mar 3 Mar 17 – Apr 7 Mar 3 – Apr 14 Sep 13–27
Denver, CO (6a) Apr 30 Mar 19 – Apr 2 Apr 16 – May 7 Apr 2 – May 14 Aug 17–31
Dallas, TX (8b) Mar 2 Jan 19 – Feb 2 Feb 16 – Mar 9 Feb 2 – Mar 16 Oct 4–18
Minneapolis, MN (5a) Apr 23 Mar 12–26 Apr 9–30 Mar 26 – May 7 Aug 21 – Sep 4
Kansas City, MO (6b) Apr 4 Feb 21 – Mar 7 Mar 21 – Apr 11 Mar 7 – Apr 18 Sep 7–21
Chicago, IL (6b) Apr 10 Feb 27 – Mar 13 Mar 27 – Apr 17 Mar 13 – Apr 24 Sep 10–24
Columbus, OH (6b) Apr 20 Mar 9–23 Apr 6–27 Mar 23 – May 4 Aug 29 – Sep 12
Nashville, TN (7b) Apr 1 Feb 18 – Mar 4 Mar 18 – Apr 8 Mar 4 – Apr 15 Sep 5–19
Atlanta, GA (8a) Mar 24 Feb 10–24 Mar 10–31 Feb 24 – Apr 7 Sep 13–27
Raleigh, NC (8a) Mar 28 Feb 14–28 Mar 14 – Apr 4 Feb 28 – Apr 11 Sep 13–27
Philadelphia, PA (7b) Mar 30 Feb 16 – Mar 2 Mar 16 – Apr 6 Mar 2 – Apr 13 Sep 22 – Oct 6
Boston, MA (7a) Apr 4 Feb 21 – Mar 7 Mar 21 – Apr 11 Mar 7 – Apr 18 Sep 14–28

In frost-free parts of Florida, southern California and the Gulf Coast, timing is about heat instead: grow red leaf lettuce from fall through winter.

Red leaf lettuce spacing

In a square-foot bed, plant 4 per square foot. In traditional rows, space plants about 8 inches apart with 12 inches between rows.

Same care as green lettuce; colour deepens in cool weather.

One square foot planted with red leaf lettuce, as drawn in the planner.

How to grow red leaf lettuce

Red leaf lettuce grows exactly like green lettuce but adds color to the salad bowl and the bed. The red pigment develops in strong light and cool temperatures, so the color is deepest in spring and fall and fades in shade or summer heat.

Sun and soil

Full sun gives the best color; light afternoon shade in warm weather trades some color for slower bolting. Moist, fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of about 6.0–7.0.

Planting

  1. Barely cover seed (⅛–¼ inch) from 4 weeks before to 2 weeks after the last frost, once soil is at least 40°F.
  2. Or transplant 4–6-week-old seedlings from 2 weeks before to 1 week after the last frost.
  3. Thin to 8 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart.
  4. Repeat sowings every 2–3 weeks, and sow a fall crop 6–8 weeks before the first frost, when cool nights bring out the deepest color.

Care

  • Water at soil level and keep moisture even to avoid bitterness and tipburn.
  • Look closely for aphids; they are hard to spot against red leaves.
  • For baby salad mix, sow thickly in a band and cut with scissors.

Harvest

Baby leaves are ready in about a month. Full-size heads take 45–55 days. Cut outer leaves as needed, or cut the whole plant an inch above the crown and let it regrow. Harvest in the cool of the morning and refrigerate promptly.

Common problems

  • Bolting: Plants stretch and turn bitter in heat. Grow in spring and fall and pick before summer.
  • Aphids: Check leaf undersides and the center. Rinse off with water or use insecticidal soap.
  • Slugs: Hand-pick at dusk and keep mulch from staying soggy.
  • Downy mildew: Yellow, angular patches with white growth underneath in cool, damp weather. Space plants, water in the morning, and choose resistant varieties.

Varieties to try

  • 'Red Sails' — loose red leaves, slow to bolt
  • 'New Red Fire' — frilly, deep red, heat tolerant
  • 'Lollo Rosso' — tightly curled, red-edged leaves
  • 'Red Salad Bowl' — red oakleaf type

Crop rotation

Red leaf lettuce belong to the daisy family (Asteraceae). Few shared soil problems; fits anywhere in a rotation. Relatives that count as the same family for rotation: lettuce, sunflower, marigold, calendula, zinnia.

Frequently asked questions

When should I plant red leaf lettuce?
Start red leaf lettuce indoors 4–6 weeks before your last frost, plant them out from 2 weeks before to 1 week after your last frost, or sow seed outdoors from 4 weeks before to 2 weeks after your last frost. For a fall crop, sow 6–8 weeks before your first fall frost. Type your ZIP code above for exact dates, or see the city table.
What grows well with red leaf lettuce?
Good neighbors for red leaf lettuce include tomato, cherry tomato, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. Each one is listed above with the reason and how strong the evidence is.
How far apart should I plant red leaf lettuce?
In rows, space red leaf lettuce about 8 inches apart with rows 12 inches apart. In a square-foot bed, plant 4 per square foot.
How long do red leaf lettuce take to grow?
About 45–55 days from sowing to first harvest, depending on the variety and the weather.
Can red leaf lettuce handle frost?
Red leaf lettuce tolerate a light frost but not a hard freeze. Cover them if temperatures will drop into the mid-20s °F.

Sources

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