Lettuce

Contrary to what summer salads may suggest, lettuce is in fact a cool-season crop that does best in spring, late summer, and autumn. High heat causes lettuce to bolt and run to seed. To slow summer lettuce from bolting, plant bolt-resistant varieties in light shade in mid-summer. In all other seasons, lettuce should be planted in full sun.

Thermal dormancy can be an issue where lettuce does not germinate in soil temperatures above 15°C. If planting in the very hot months (Nov-Feb), then chill seed in the fridge for a few days to break dormancy. Lettuce also needs to be shallowly sown as it requires light to germinate. All of these points can make it difficult for the novice to sow successfully every time.

Lettuce will germinate in temperatures as low as 5°C, so don’t be scared to sow directly outside early in the season. If in doubt about keeping direct-sown seed moist, cover with a thin hessian cloth for the first 5 days.

Lettuce enjoys high levels of soil fertility. Although best started off in seedling trays, lettuce can be direct-seeded and thinned in the beds.


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All Year Round Lettuce

All Year Round Lettuce

Lactuca sativa A great heading butter lettuce that can literally be planted all year round. In co..

R33.89

Arianna

Arianna

Lactuca sativa An extremely attractive French heirloom with bright green leaves. Bolt and tip-bu..

R33.89

Black Seeded Simpson

Black Seeded Simpson

Lactuca sativa A stunning loose-leaf heirloom introduced by Peter Henderson & Co. in the 1870..

R33.89

Blushed Butter Oak

Blushed Butter Oak

Lactuca sativaA beautiful coloured loosely packed lettuce which is cold hardy. The tender leaves are..

R33.89

Butter King

Butter King

Lactuca sativaThis is a real winner in South Africa. Growing lettuce is tough here as it doesn't tol..

R33.89

Butterhead Attraction

Butterhead Attraction

Lactuca sativa It is a lovely butterhead that forms a nice compact head with a mild, sweet flavou..

R33.89

Capitaine

Capitaine

Lactuca sativaA superb butterhead variety that produces large, compact, bright green heads with sli..

R33.89

Cimmaron

Cimmaron

Lactuca sativa An absolute favourite! This 18th-century heirloom is a Romaine-type lettuce that p..

R33.89

Dark Green Cos

Dark Green Cos

Lactuca sativaDeep green, slightly crinkled leaves form an upright loose head of lettuce. These leav..

R33.89

Deer Tongue Really Red

Deer Tongue Really Red

Lactuca sativaA stunning heirloom boasting ruby-red, slightly pointed leaves with contrasting thick ..

R33.89

Freckles

Freckles

Lactuca sativaA late 18th-century heirloom Romaine-type lettuce from Austria and Southern Germany. I..

R33.89

Gabriella

Gabriella

Lactuca sativaA beautiful, deep wine red-coloured loose-leaf type. The leaves are frilly and wrinkle..

R33.89

Gourmet Lettuce Mix

Gourmet Lettuce Mix

Lactuca sativa This gourmet mix is made up of a variety of loose-leaf and heading varieties that ..

R33.89

Great Lakes

Great Lakes

Lactuca sativa Nowadays, it is almost impossible to find a good heading lettuce. Great Lakes was..

R33.89

Green Mantilia

Green Mantilia

Lactuca sativaAvailable for purchase from 1 July 2025   Green Mantilia lettuce is a belov..

R33.89

Iceberg

Iceberg

Lactuca sativa Introduced in 1895, Iceberg set the original standard for crisphead lettuce. While..

R33.89

Iya Sol

Iya Sol

Lactuca sativaA beautiful, frilly loose-leaf Romaine lettuce. Stunning red leaves grow straight up a..

R33.89

Jericho

Jericho

Lactuca sativaAn open-pollinated cos-type variety developed in Israel, Jericho lettuce produces very..

R33.89

Kagraner Sommer

Kagraner Sommer

Lactuca sativaA European butterhead lettuce variety that is more tolerant of summer heat. The heads ..

R33.89

Little Gem

Little Gem

Lactuca sativa Known by the French as "Sucrine," Little Gem is truly a gem, both in the garden an..

R33.89

Showing 1 to 20 of 49 (3 Pages)

Specials

Black Vernissage

Black Vernissage

Solanum lycopersicumA beautiful indeterminate tomato variety from Ukraine. The saladette-type fruits..

R29.67 R34.12

Fireworks

Fireworks

Solanum lycopersicumThe 2022 season on Livingseeds Farm was noted for its generally low overall temp..

R29.67 R34.12

German Red Strawberry

German Red Strawberry

Solanum lycopersicum Large oxheart-type with 250g+ fruits. Shaped somewhat like a large strawberr..

R30.87 R35.50

High Crimson

High Crimson

Solanum lycopersicum What a striking tomato – we've never seen such intense red in the flesh of a..

R30.87 R35.50

Indigo Apple

Indigo Apple

Solanum lycopersicumAnother recent release in "new" tomato colours. This open-pollinated variety was..

R29.67 R34.12

Julia Child Tomato

Julia Child Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum Named after the famed chef Julia Child and introduced to the gardening world..

R30.87 R35.50

Kamberg Black Tomato

Kamberg Black Tomato

Solanum lycopersicumA delectable South African variety discovered in the Kamberg Valley, Drakensberg..

R29.47 R33.90

Kleckley's Sweet Watermelon

Kleckley's Sweet Watermelon

Citrullus lanatusA.k.a. Monte Cristo. Bred by WA Kleckley in the 1880s and commercially introduced b..

R32.48 R37.35

Lemon Salad Tomato

Lemon Salad Tomato

Solanum lycopersicumAn indeterminate tomato producing beautiful, round to slightly oblate, lemon yel..

R29.67 R34.12

Matt's Wild Cherry Yellow Tomato

Matt's Wild Cherry Yellow Tomato

Solanum lycopersicumThis is a fabulous, spontaneous sport of Matt's Wild Cherry on Livingseeds Farm,..

R27.72 R31.87

Molly's Zebra

Molly's Zebra

Phaseolus vulgarus One of Australia’s favourite runner bean varieties. Bred as a green cutting be..

R28.82 R33.14

Nebraska Wedding Tomato (Indeterminate)

Nebraska Wedding Tomato (Indeterminate)

Solanum lycopersicumThis is an indeterminate variety of the original Nebraska Wedding tomato introdu..

R29.67 R34.12

Nepal Tomato

Nepal Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum This Himalayan heirloom produces large, globe-shaped tomatoes that slice wel..

R30.87 R35.50

Pakistan Maroon Beans

Pakistan Maroon Beans

Phaseolus vulgaris A staple food in Pakistan, these beans are grown primarily for the dry bean ma..

R28.82 R33.14

Pebblestone Bush

Pebblestone Bush

Phaseolus vulgarisThis is a delightful, compact bush bean that produces heaps of lovely dark green p..

R31.22 R35.90

Peter Pepper Chocolate

Peter Pepper Chocolate

Capsicum annuum A chocolate colour morph of the famous Red and Yellow Peter Pepper. A unique and odd..

R27.37 R31.48

Plana de Penjar Tomato

Plana de Penjar Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum This Italian variety is famed for its ability to store over winter.Typically..

R29.67 R34.12

Tendersweet Orange Watermelon

Tendersweet Orange Watermelon

Citrullus lanatus A simply delicious, eye-catching heirloom sporting a bright yellow/orange flesh..

R32.48 R37.35

Windsor Long Pod

Windsor Long Pod

Phaseolus vulgaris A bush bean with a long history as a favourite garden bean. As its name sugges..

R31.22 R35.90

Zagreb Soldier

Zagreb Soldier

Phaseolus vulgaris A Yugoslavian Heirloom that is said to have originated from Croatia. This bean..

R31.22 R35.90

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