Get into gardening

It's great to have a plentiful supply of lettuce whenever you need it throughout the summer, and it tastes better knowing you've grown it yourself. Not only is it fun, but it's quick, easy and cheap too.

When to plant?

March – August

When to harvest?

May – October

Where to plant?

Container or windowbox

What to do:

Firstly, fill your pot or box with compost to about 3cm below the rim. Draw lines in the compost with a pencil or your finger, about 2.5cm deep. Sprinkle the seeds sparingly along the rows and cover with a thin layer of compost.

Give your salad enough water to ensure the soil is moist and not wet. Do this using a watering can gently, to ensure you don't wash the seeds away. For best growth, put your container in a sunny spot, checking daily that the soil is still moist. Make sure you water if the soil feels dry.

After roughly 3 weeks, you can start to pick the leaves as and when you want them. To do this, carefully cut using a pair of scissors.