When to Plant Lettuce in Alice Springs, Arid / Semi-Arid Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Alice Springs), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Arid / Semi-Arid
In October the Arid / Semi-Arid zone normally runs 32°C by day and 16°C overnight, with about 19 mm of rain over 2 or 3 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was 1.9°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 10 postcodes, SILO.
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This Lettuce guide is written for the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, which takes in Alice Springs, Broken Hill and Port Augusta. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Feb to Sep
- Days to harvest
- 30 days
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 25 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.0
Lettuce is the most commonly grown salad green in Australian home gardens. Available in four main types: crisphead (iceberg), cos/romaine, butterhead, and loose-leaf.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Arid / Semi-Arid
- Jan -
- Feb S
- Mar S/T/D
- Apr S/T/D
- May S/T/D
- Jun S/T/D
- Jul S/T/D (likely to bolt)
- Aug S/T/D (likely to bolt)
- Sep T/D (likely to bolt)
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Amber = likely to bolt if sown this month, it matures into heat or long days.
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How to Grow Lettuce in Arid / Semi-Arid Australia
- Soil
- Light, well-drained soil enriched with compost. Lettuce has shallow roots and prefers loose, friable soil.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun in cool seasons. Part shade essential in warm zones and during warm months to delay bolting.
- Spacing
- 25cm apart, 30cm between rows
- Watering
- Light, frequent watering to keep soil consistently moist. Shallow roots dry out quickly. Morning watering preferred. Drip irrigation or soaker hose ideal. Avoid overhead watering to prevent disease.
- Good companions
- Amaranth (amaranth provides shade), Dwarf Beans, Onion, Cucumber, Carrot
- Keep away from
- Celery (some allelopathic evidence), Parsley (competes for same nutrients)
- Grow before it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
- Grow after it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
Give the bed 3 turns before leafy greens go back in. Leaf crops want the nitrogen the legumes left behind.
Arid / Semi-Arid Growing Tips for Lettuce
Recommended Varieties
- Darwin (oakleaf)
- Green Oakleaf
- Buttercrunch
- Australian Yellow Leaf
Key Challenges
- Extreme heat causes instant bolting
- Very high water demand for a leafy crop
- Dry air desiccates leaves
Pro Tips
- Shade cloth (50%) is essential for any lettuce growing in arid zones
- Drip irrigation with mulch to conserve every drop
- Light-coloured oak leaf varieties perform best (absorb less heat)
Pests and problems for Lettuce in Arid / Semi-Arid
- Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Watch
- Helicoverpa / Corn Earworm / Tomato Grub Watch
- Botrytis (Grey Mould) Watch
- Mosaic Viruses Watch
- Root-knot Nematode Watch
- Thrips Watch
- Downy Mildew Avoid overhead watering. Water in morning. Space for airflow. Grow resistant varieties. Remove crop debris. Watch
- Lettuce Mosaic Virus Use certified virus-free seed. Control aphids. Remove infected plants immediately. Grow resistant varieties. Watch
Harvesting Lettuce
When ready: Loose-leaf: when leaves are 10-15cm (baby) or 20cm+ (full size). Heading types: when head is firm and full-sized. Cos: when upright head is dense. Harvest before any signs of flower stalk elongation (bolting).
How to harvest: Cut-and-come-again: cut outer leaves at base for loose-leaf types. Whole head: cut at soil level with sharp knife in cool of morning. For cos, can harvest outer leaves or whole head.
Storing and preserving lettuce
How to keep it
- Dehydrating (for powder). Wash and dry leaves. Spread on dehydrator trays. Dry at 52C for 6-10 hours until crispy. Blitz to powder. Use as a mild green powder in smoothies. Note: texture is completely different from fresh. Keeps: 3-6 months.
- Fresh Storage. Wash, dry thoroughly in salad spinner. Wrap in paper towel, place in sealed container in fridge crisper. Or store whole unwashed heads in open plastic bag with paper towel. Keeps: 5-10 days refrigerated (varies by type; crisphead longest, loose-leaf shortest).
What lettuce costs in the shops right now, retailer by retailer, updated daily.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
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- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Lettuce
When do you plant lettuce in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Mar to Aug Likely to bolt if sown in July and August.
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan to Sep Likely to bolt if sown in August and September.
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan to Nov Likely to bolt if sown in October and November.
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): all year Likely to bolt if sown in September, October, November and December.
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan to Apr, Aug to Dec Likely to bolt if sown in October, November and December.
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Feb to Sep Likely to bolt if sown in July, August and September.
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jan to Nov Likely to bolt if sown in October and November.
Can you grow lettuce all year round in Alice Springs?
No. In the Arid / Semi-Arid zone the planting months are Feb to Sep. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather. Likely to bolt if sown in July, August and September.
When should I plant Lettuce in Alice Springs?
Grow from autumn to spring; leaf, cos and butterhead types do better than hearting lettuce. Use shade cloth as the weather warms and pick leaves as needed.
What soil temperature do Lettuce need?
Lettuce germinate best when soil temperature is between 5°C and 25°C.
How do I know when Lettuce are ready to harvest?
Loose-leaf: when leaves are 10-15cm (baby) or 20cm+ (full size). Heading types: when head is firm and full-sized. Cos: when upright head is dense. Harvest before any signs of flower stalk elongation (bolting).
What are the best Lettuce varieties for Alice Springs?
Recommended varieties for the Arid / Semi-Arid zone include: Darwin (oakleaf), Green Oakleaf, Buttercrunch, Australian Yellow Leaf.
What grows well with Lettuce?
Good companion plants for Lettuce include: Amaranth, Dwarf Beans, Onion, Cucumber, Carrot.
Are lettuce salt tolerant?
Only a little. Lettuce are moderately sensitive to salt, so the harvest drops on salty bore water. Mix salty water with rainwater, and mulch the bed.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, Alice Springs is its reference city.