How to Grow Lettuce in New Zealand
Updated June 2026
Lettuce is the quickest win in the New Zealand vegetable garden. From a pinch of seed you can be picking salad leaves in around five to seven weeks, and with a little planning you can keep a bowl coming almost all year.
The trick is matching the right type to the season. Soft butterhead lettuce is sweet in the cool months but bolts the moment summer heat arrives. Loose-leaf, cos and crisphead types stand the heat far better. Get that pairing right and lettuce is close to foolproof.
Across most of the country the warm north can grow lettuce nearly year round, while warmer and inland zones do best in autumn, winter and spring, when there is less risk of bolting.
What it looks like as it grows
Season and bolting selector
Pick the season and your climate to see the best lettuce types, your bolt risk, and how to sow for a steady supply.
Position and Soil
Lettuce likes full sun in the cooler months and welcomes afternoon shade in summer to slow bolting. Give it a rich, moisture-holding soil with plenty of compost, as lettuce is shallow-rooted and shows stress fast in dry or poor ground. A pH around 6.0 to 7.0 suits it.
Sowing
Sow direct into a fine seedbed or raise seedlings in trays to transplant. Barely cover the seed, as lettuce needs some light to germinate, and keep the surface moist. Seed goes dormant in hot soil above about 25C, so in summer sow in the cool of the evening, shade the bed, and keep it damp. For a steady supply, sow a small batch every two to three weeks rather than a whole packet at once.
Spacing
Space hearting lettuce about 25 to 30cm apart so heads can fill out with airflow between them. Loose-leaf and cut-and-come-again types can go closer, around 15 to 20cm, since you pick leaves rather than whole heads.
Watering and Feeding
Keep the soil consistently moist, as uneven watering brings on bitterness and bolting. Water in the morning at the base to keep leaves dry and limit rot. A light feed of compost or a balanced liquid feed every couple of weeks keeps leaves tender and fast-growing.
Common Problems
Watch for slugs and snails, which can clear seedlings overnight, and aphids sheltering in the hearts. Lettuce that shoots up tall and turns bitter has bolted in the heat, so grow in cooler months or give shade. Slimy, rotting outer leaves mean it is too wet and crowded, so thin to spacing and water in the morning. See our NZ pest and disease guide for organic control.
Harvest
With loose-leaf and cut-and-come-again types, pick outer leaves as you need them and the plant keeps producing for weeks. Harvest hearting types whole once the head is firm, cutting at the base in the cool of the morning when leaves are crisp. Always pick before a plant runs to seed, as the leaves turn bitter once it bolts.
Best lettuce varieties for NZ
| Variety | Type | Days to harvest | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buttercrunch | Butterhead | About 55 to 65 | Sweet, crisp mini-cos and butterhead cross that holds better in heat than most butterheads. |
| Cos (Paris Island) | Cos / romaine | About 65 to 70 | Upright, crunchy romaine, the standard cos for salads and Caesar, fairly heat tolerant. |
| Great Lakes | Crisphead (iceberg) | About 70 to 80 | Firm, crisp iceberg-type heads that stand summer heat well and resist bolting. |
| Green Mignonette | Loose-leaf | About 50 to 60 | Compact, slow to bolt loose-leaf, the classic reliable NZ home-garden lettuce. |
| Drunken Woman / Lollo | Loose-leaf | About 50 to 55 | Frilly, red-tinged leaves for cut-and-come-again picking and colour in the salad bowl. |
When to sow by region
Lettuce is mostly year-round in the mild north and best in the cooler seasons elsewhere, as it bolts in summer heat.
| Region | When to sow |
|---|---|
| Northland | Year round, ease off and use bolt-resistant types in midsummer |
| Auckland | Year round, ease off in midsummer |
| Waikato & BoP | Year round, bolt-resistant types only over high summer |
| Wellington | Spring to autumn, plus winter in sheltered spots |
| Nelson & Marlborough | Spring to autumn, with care over hot summers |
| Canterbury | Spring, autumn and mild winters; shade in summer |
| Otago & Southland | Spring to autumn, protect from frost |
| Central Otago | Spring to autumn, shade in summer, protect from frost |
Companion planting
Lettuce grows well with carrots, radish, chives, onion, strawberry and marigold. Taller crops like sweetcorn can give it useful summer shade.
Track your succession sowings, get region-tuned reminders and log every harvest in the free Planting Season app. Open the app to plan your salad bed.
FAQ
When is the best time to plant lettuce in New Zealand?
In the mild north you can sow lettuce almost year round, easing off in the hottest part of summer. In warmer and inland zones the safest windows are autumn, winter and spring, as lettuce bolts in summer heat. Use the season and climate selector on this page to find the best types and timing for you.
Why does my lettuce bolt and turn bitter?
Bolting is triggered by heat and long summer days. The plant shoots up a flower stalk and the leaves turn bitter. Grow lettuce in the cooler months, choose bolt-resistant types in summer, give afternoon shade, and keep the water up. Pick before it runs to seed.
How do I keep lettuce all year with succession sowing?
Sow a small batch every two to three weeks rather than a whole packet at once. That way a few heads mature at a time and you are never swamped or left short. In summer heat, sow in the cool of the evening and keep the seedbed moist and shaded.
What lettuce should I grow in summer?
In summer choose loose-leaf and heat-tolerant cos and crisphead (iceberg) types, which stand the heat far better than soft butterhead. Pick leaves young, give afternoon shade, and water consistently to slow bolting.
What lettuce grows best in winter?
In the cool months butterhead and cos lettuces do well, growing sweet and tender in the cooler, shorter days. In frost-prone areas a cloche or a sheltered, sunny spot keeps them going.
Why will my lettuce seed not germinate?
Lettuce seed goes dormant in hot soil above about 25C, so summer sowings often fail. Sow when it is cooler, barely cover the seed as it needs some light, keep the surface moist, and sow in the evening in hot weather.
How far apart should I space lettuce?
Space hearting lettuce about 25 to 30cm apart. Loose-leaf and cut-and-come-again types can go closer, around 15 to 20cm, as you harvest leaves rather than whole heads.
Where can I buy lettuce seeds in NZ?
Lettuce seed and seedlings are widely available at garden centres and online. Common New Zealand suppliers include Kings Seeds, Egmont Seeds and Mitre 10.