Lettuce · Melbourne, VIC
A local how-to for Melbourne’s temperate/cool climate, the planting window, the spacing, the pest pressure, and the family-of-four quantities. Built for raised beds.
The local entry
Plant lettuce in Melbourne february-may, august-november.
Climate: Temperate/Cool · Spacing: 25 cm · Days to harvest: 45-70 days · Sun: partial
Planting window
February-May, August-November
Spacing
25 cm
30 cm rows
Sun
Partial shade to full sun, afternoon shade in summer
Water
Regular
Growing lettuce in Melbourne sits inside a specific window, february-may, august-november, and the success of the crop hinges on respecting it. Melbourne's temperate/cool climate runs winter lows of about 6°C and summer highs around 32°C, with frost risk: June-August (outer suburbs), July-August (inner suburbs). Those numbers are the ones every Melbourne gardener already knows by feel; they're the reason why the same crop behaves differently in a Sydney raised bed compared to a Hobart one.
Start with the bed itself. A raised bed of at least 30 cm depth gives lettuce room for roots to extend, and in Melbourne, that depth also buffers the soil temperature against the swings that catch out shallow planters. Work compost through the top 20-30 cm until the bed mix is loose and friable. Target a soil pH of 6.0-7.0, which is the band lettuce prefers. If your Melbourne water is alkaline (which it often is on the mainland), add a handful of sulphur or composted leaves to nudge the pH down. See our raised bed calculator if you’re sizing the bed from scratch.
Melbourne's notorious 'four seasons in one day' weather means always have frost cloth ready from April through October, sudden cold snaps can damage tender seedlings even in spring.
Space plants 25 cm apart, with 30 cm between rows. A standard 1.2 m × 2.4 m raised bed in Melbourne holds up to 38 lettuce plants at maximum density, though in practice you'll plant 60-70 percent of that to leave room for Carrot and Radish. Partial shade to full sun, afternoon shade in summer. Regular, keep consistently moist but not waterlogged. If you want the full plant-by-plant spacing reference, the plant spacing chart is the printable version.
Lettuce is one of the easiest and most rewarding crops for Australian raised bed gardeners. It prefers cool weather and will bolt (run to seed) quickly in temperatures above 25°C, so timing is everything. In most Australian climates, autumn through spring is the prime lettuce season. Sow seeds direct into prepared beds at 5mm depth, or transplant seedlings spaced 20-25cm apart for heading varieties. For loose-leaf types grown as cut-and-come-again, broadcast seed more densely and thin to 15cm. Loose-leaf varieties like 'Oak Leaf', 'Cos', and 'Mignonette' are more heat-tolerant than iceberg or butterhead types.
In Melbourne's temperate/cool conditions, lettuce faces the usual seasonal pests but has a long enough productive window to ride them out. Snails and slugs are the number-one lettuce pest in Australian gardens, use iron-based snail bait (pet-safe) around the bed perimeter. Aphids can colonise the heart of lettuce heads; wash off with water or remove outer leaves. Melbourne's notorious 'four seasons in one day' weather means always have frost cloth ready from April through October, sudden cold snaps can damage tender seedlings even in spring.
Good companions for lettuce in Melbourne’s climate include Carrot, Radish, Strawberry, Cucumber. These pairings reduce pest pressure and improve pollination. Keep lettuce away from Celery, Parsley because they fight for the same nutrients or attract shared pests. The full matrix lives in our companion planting guide.
When it comes to the harvest itself, For loose-leaf varieties, harvest outer leaves continuously, leaving the growing centre intact. For heading types, harvest the whole head when firm. Harvest in the morning for maximum crispness. Bolting plants (elongated central stem) taste bitter, harvest immediately or compost them. Expect around 200-500g per plant (heading); ongoing for cut-and-come-again. For a Melbourne household of four, Plant 8-12 plants in succession for a family of 4; succession sow every 3 weeks for continuous supply
Melbourne gardeners tend to do their best work when they stop treating the year as one long growing season and start treating it as a series of windows. The window for lettuce in your climate is february-may, august-november, set a reminder for the weekend before it opens, get the seedlings in, and the rest is just looking after them.
Melbourne record
The numbers above sit behind every recommendation on this page. They’re the same climate signal Plant Planner reads from your postcode, see frost dates by city for the longer view.
Plant lettuce in Melbourne february-may, august-november. Use a raised bed at least 30 cm deep with compost-rich mix, space plants 25 cm apart in rows 30 cm apart, give it partial shade to full sun, afternoon shade in summer, and water consistently. Expect 45-70 days from planting to first harvest.
In Melbourne (temperate/cool climate, frost risk: June-August (outer suburbs), July-August (inner suburbs)), the productive window for lettuce is february-may, august-november. Within that window, planting in the first two weeks gives the longest harvest tail.
Plant 8-12 plants in succession for a family of 4; succession sow every 3 weeks for continuous supply Expected yield per plant: 200-500g per plant (heading); ongoing for cut-and-come-again. Plant Planner runs this calculation against your exact household size when you sign up.
Good companions in Melbourne include Carrot, Radish, Strawberry, Cucumber, Chives. These pairings reduce pest pressure and improve pollination in Melbourne's temperate/cool climate. Keep lettuce away from Celery, Parsley, they compete for nutrients or attract shared pests.
Partial shade to full sun, afternoon shade in summer. In Melbourne's temperate/cool climate, morning sun and some protection from the harshest afternoon sun in midsummer works best.
Snails and slugs are the number-one lettuce pest in Australian gardens, use iron-based snail bait (pet-safe) around the bed perimeter. Aphids can colonise the heart of lettuce heads; wash off with water or remove outer leaves. Downy mildew appears as yellow patches on upper leaves with grey fuzz beneath in humid conditions, improve airflow and avoid overhead watering. Tip burn (brown leaf margins) is caused by calcium deficiency or heat stress, not a disease.
Tell us your postcode, family size, and the size of your bed. The planner runs the maths, lays out the bed, and emails you the planting reminders when the weekend before each task arrives.
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