T
The Daily Insight

Can I plant lettuce with onions

Author

Andrew Campbell

Published May 24, 2026

As a root crop, alliums like onions and shallots utilize underground space to grow their produce, while lettuce plants have very shallow roots and grow their crop above the soil. Plant onions and lettuce close together to maximize your garden space.

What is best to plant with lettuce?

Lettuce. Friends: Plant mint among your lettuce to keep away the slugs that feed on lettuce leaves, or plant chives and garlic to repel aphids. Beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, corn, peas, radishes, and marigolds also work as good companion plants.

What can I plant lettuce near?

  • Beets.
  • Carrots.
  • Parsnips.
  • Strawberries.
  • Radishes.
  • Onions.
  • Asparagus.
  • Corn.

What should not be planted next to onions?

Onions make great planting companions due to their ability to improve the flavor of their companion plants, as well as deter pests like aphids, Japanese beetles, and rabbits. However peas, pole beans, bush beans, and asparagus don’t grow well when planted near onions.

What should you not plant lettuce with?

Try to avoid growing lettuce next to broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, or kohlrabi—while some varieties of lettuce may help these cabbage-family (brassicas) crops to grow, these plants have particular root secretions that can prevent lettuce seeds from germinating.

What can be planted between onions?

  • CARROTS. Planting onions, specifically spring onions, with carrots is a classic combination that many gardeners swear by. …
  • CABBAGE. …
  • TOMATOES.
  • PEPPER. …
  • PARSLEY & MINT. …
  • CHAMOMILE. …
  • SUMMER SAVORY. …
  • ROSES.

How close can onions be planted together?

Onions should be spaced 2 to 4 inches apart, with 12 to 18 inches between rows. Onion seeds can be sown close together, and thinned out once the seedlings have grown. Sets, or small immature onions, should be spaced like onion plants. Green onions are the exception and can be planted one inch apart.

What month do you plant lettuce?

Lettuce is a cool weather crop and is best grown in spring and fall. The seeds germinate in temperatures as low as 40 F (4 C) but its ideal germination and growing temperature is between 60 and 65 F (16 to 18 C).

How far apart can you plant lettuce?

Space your rows 12 to 18 inches apart. Thin leaf lettuce seedlings to 4 inches apart. Romaine and butterhead lettuce seedlings require 6 to 8 inches between each plant.

When should you not use lettuce?
  1. Slimy or soft leaves. If the whole thing is soft and wet, and the leaves are darker than usual, discard it. That’s the reason you will throw out your lettuce 99 out of 100 times.
  2. An off smell. If it smells bad, it’s done for.
Article first time published on

Will garden lettuce regrow after cutting?

Yes, lettuce leaves will grow back after cutting but only if proper care and technique are used when cutting as all vegetable lettuce follow similar annual vegetable growth cycles.

What does it mean when your lettuce bolts?

Ah lettuce; the most popular of the salad greens, offering a long season of sweet, crispy leaves. … Bolting, when the plants shift from leafy growth into flower production, is caused by a number of factors including high temperatures, long daylight hours, and less moisture – in essence – summer.

What happens if you plant lettuce too deep?

ANSWER: Seeds that are planted too deep in the soil may grow into weak, feeble seedlings or fail to germinate at all. If it’s been buried too far under the surface of the soil, the seed may not get the light it requires to sprout.

What is the easiest lettuce to grow?

Loose leaf lettuce, which refers to varieties that don’t form any type of head, is considered the easiest to grow. It matures in 40-45 days, but no need to wait that long to enjoy it!

What is the fastest growing lettuce?

Some of the fastest growing lettuce varieties include: Flashy Trout Back, Buttercrunch, Jericho, Green Saladbowl, Red Sails, Clearwater, Deer Tongue, Waldmann’s Dark Green, Tambay, Alboreto, Powerhouse, and Little Gem. All of these lettuce varieties will be ready for harvest in less than 6 weeks from planting.

Do I need to cover lettuce?

Don’t cover seeds I know you’ll want to but don’t cover the lettuce seed or you’ll get a very poor germination rate. You will need to keep the compost moist at all times just don’t cover them. Gently water your seeds. … Place your trays in your greenhouse, polytunnel, cold frame or windowsill to germinate.

Why is iceberg lettuce bad?

Iceberg lettuce only has about one calorie per leaf. It has a higher water content than many other types of lettuce. It may not be as vitamin- or nutrient-packed as darker, more colorful lettuce varietals — such as red leaf lettuce or spinach — but iceberg lettuce can still have a place in a healthy diet plan.

What does it mean when romaine lettuce turns red?

Red leaf lettuces naturally produce a pigment within the leaves called anthocyanin. Anthocyanin is a healthy antioxidant that helps combat free radicals in the body. This same pigment causes leaves to turn red in autumn and produces the purple in vegetables like kohlrabi and purple broccoli.

How do you keep lettuce growing in the summer?

Lettuce doesn’t need full sun; in fact, it’ll perform better if you give it indirect light and cool shade. Plant summer lettuce underneath tall plants or arbors, or make your own shade structure. Some gardeners keep their lettuce in container gardens, which can be moved to shady spots in warm months.

Do you have to replant lettuce every year?

Lettuce does reseed. The blossoms are nothing special when they bolt. I collect seed from my heirlooms every year. Most seeds will over winter and sprout the next spring.

Can you stop lettuce from bolting?

To prevent bolting, planting leafy lettuces in the spring and continually harvesting (cutting them back) during the year will likely prevent bolting and provide lettuce leaves for most of the summer. … Another option is to plant in the shade so that the lettuce doesn’t get full sun all day.

Should I let my lettuce go to seed?

When lettuce goes to seed, it will drop to the ground and spring up when your stalks are dying back. If you let your spring greens go to seed, your fall garden will come to life right on time. Since lettuces are light feeders, I’ll allow them to re-seed in the same spot once.

How deep does a raised bed need to be for lettuce?

If plants don’t have loose soil to this depth, the roots will not be able to go down deep enough to access nutrients. Shallow-rooted crops (such as lettuce, greens, and onions) need a minimum soil depth of 6 inches.

Can you grow more lettuce from the stump?

The simple answer is yes, and regrowing lettuce in water is a super simple experiment. … Lettuce plants growing in water don’t get enough nutrients to make a whole head of lettuce, again since water has no nutrients. Also, the stump or stem that you are trying to regrow from has no nutrients contained therein.

Can lettuce grow in 4 inches of soil?

Lettuce needs ample room for roots but you can grow several varieties in 6 to 12 inch (15-30.5 cm.) … The greens need a consistent supply of moisture as they are almost 95 percent water but cannot tolerate wet roots. A clay pot provides a permeable surface that can evaporate any excess water and prevent soggy roots.