Lettuce Container Soil Mix
Lactuca sativa
Shallow-rooted cool-season green that thrives in a moisture-retentive, vermicompost-rich mix.
- Container:
- 2 gal / 30 cm wide planter
- pH:
- 6–6.8
- EC:
- 0.8–1.2 mS/cm
- Sun:
- 4–6 hr
- Light:
- Part sun; appreciates afternoon shade in summer
Components
Percentages by volume. Quantities scaled for a 2-gallon container (US units).
| Component | % | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Quality potting mix Base structure, initial nutrients | 45% | 3.5 qt |
| Coco coir (low-EC, buffered) CEC, moisture buffering | 25% | 2 qt |
| Vermicompost / Worm castings Nutrients, microbes, growth hormones | 20% | 1.5 qt |
| Perlite Drainage, aeration | 10% | 3.25 cup |
Per-container amendments
Scaled linearly to your container size. Apply at transplant or as side-dress per the notes on each line.
- Balanced organic fertilizer (4-4-4 / 5-5-5) Mix in at planting; side-dress at 4 inches tall.1–2 tbsp
- Kelp meal Light potassium + micros for crisp leaves.1 tsp
Growing notes
- Target ideal temps: nights ~50 F, days up to 68 F — bolts hard above 80 F.
- Keep evenly moist; container compost dries quickly and dry spells trigger bolting.
- Sow successively every 2 weeks until temps hit 80 F, then resume mid-August for a fall crop.
- Harvest individual outer leaves at baby stage for multiple cuts, or shear whole head at soil.
- In a 2 gal pot, fortnightly liquid organic feed keeps growth tender.
- Use a peat-free, moisture-retentive base; loose-leaf cultivars are most forgiving.
Want to scale this to a different container size, save it to a plot plant, or track applied dates? Open it in the interactive calculator.
References
- Growing lettuce, endive and radicchio in home gardens — University of Minnesota Extension . University of Minnesota Extension
- How to grow lettuces — Royal Horticultural Society . RHS