Leafy & brassicas
Lettuce
Fresh leaves, loose rosettes or crisp heads.
Sowing & planting windows in Australia
Planting timing varies by broad Australian gardening zone. Local weather, unusual seasons and your garden’s microclimate can shift timing.
Cool
Sow · Sep-May
Core months: January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November, December
Temperate
Sow · All year
Core months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
Subtropical
Sow · All year
Core months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
Tropical
Sow · Apr-Aug
Core months: April, May, June, July, August
Possible / shoulder months: September
Arid
Sow · Mar-Sep
Core months: March, April, May, June, July, August, September
Getting started
Sow directly and thin, or start in trays and transplant small, healthy seedlings. Choose a variety suited to the conditions and the type of harvest you want.
The right conditions
Use fertile soil that holds moisture but drains well. Lettuce prefers cooler conditions; heat can make germination difficult and encourage flowering.
As it grows
Keep growth even with regular attention to moisture. Avoid crowding and make small repeat sowings within the suitable window if you want a continuing supply.
Ready to harvest
Pick outer leaves from loose-leaf varieties while retaining the centre, or cut a whole plant. Harvest heading varieties once the head is ready. Pick before flowering makes leaves bitter.
Related how-to guides
Harvest leafy greens for repeat picking
Identify the crop and whether you want individual leaves or a whole head.
Plant guidance: Desk-reviewed against linked sources; not field-tested. Planting windows are a guide rather than a rule.