Growing lettuce in the summer heat

Introduction

It seems unfair—just when we really need lettuce as the foundation of a summer salad, the lettuce wants to pack up and spend its summer in a cooler spot. Here's how you can have your lettuce and eat it too.

Why Does Lettuce Bolt?

Lettuce thrives in the cool days of spring and fall, with air temperatures in the 60s. When summer arrives, lettuce often bolts. In gardening terms, bolting means the plant sets a flower and grows a seed stalk, making the leaves bitter. What causes bolting? Longer days, more sunlight, and hot weather.

Tips for Growing Lettuce in the Heat

To grow lettuce successfully during the summer, focus on two strategies: creating a cooler microclimate and choosing heat-tolerant lettuce varieties. Here’s how:

• Plant lettuce in areas with morning sun and afternoon shade.
• Use shade cloth to protect plants from harsh sunlight.
• Consider container gardening to move lettuce to cooler spots as needed.

Heat-Tolerant Lettuce Varieties

Growing heat-tolerant lettuce varieties can make all the difference in summer gardening. Check out these options:

• Bibb/Butterhead: Buttercrunch, Pirat, Divina
• Crisphead: Anuenue, Magenta
• Leaf: Black Seeded Simpson, Green Salad Bowl, New Red Fire
• Romaine: Little Gem, Parris Island Cos

Cool Growing Techniques for Summer Lettuce

Adjust your garden setup to help lettuce thrive in summer:

• Plant lettuce in part-shade areas or use shade cloth.
• Grow lettuce in containers to move them to cooler spots when necessary.
• Install low tunnels to create a cooler environment.

Shop Shade Cloth

Container Gardening with Lettuce

Growing lettuce in containers allows you to play Mother Nature. Move the containers to part-shade areas during hot afternoons, and grow "cut and come again" leaf varieties for continuous harvest. For more tips, visit our Resource Center.

Conclusion

Whether you grow lettuce in containers, mixed in with your ornamentals, or in a dedicated vegetable patch, these tips will help you harvest fresh, delicious lettuce all summer long. For more resources and tools, explore our Lettuce Seeds collection and other gardening products.

☀️ Resource Area: Growing Lettuce in the Summer Heat

Beat the heat and keep your salads fresh! Use these expert resources to grow lettuce successfully through the summer months using shade techniques, container gardening, and heat-tolerant varieties.

• 📚 How to Grow Lettuce and Greens: A Growing Guide
  Learn the fundamentals of lettuce care, including soil prep, watering, and heat mitigation—all tailored to different growing conditions.
• 📹 Watch: Growing Lettuce Video Guide
  A quick and helpful video covering planting, protecting, and harvesting lettuce during warm weather.
• 🏙️ DIY Lettuce Gardens in Small Spaces
  Perfect for urban gardeners! Discover how containers and movable planters make it easy to shift lettuce into shade during hot afternoons.
• 🌡️ Lettuce in Extreme Climates
  A must-read for managing lettuce during heatwaves, with advice on irrigation, mulch, and resilient varieties like Buttercrunch and Parris Island Cos.
• 🌱 Uncommon Lettuce Varieties for Unique Gardens
  Explore specialty varieties like Lollo Rossa or Merlot, some of which tolerate heat surprisingly well and elevate the look of any summer salad garden.
• ❄️ Seasonal Lettuce Cultivation for Winter Harvests
  While this guide focuses on cooler seasons, it’s useful for planning succession planting and extending your harvest window from early spring into summer.
• 🛒 Shop: Lettuce Seeds Collection
  Find heat-tolerant and bolt-resistant varieties like Little Gem, Nevada, Black Seeded Simpson, and Magenta to keep your harvests coming in hot weather.