Sow lettuce direct

Fork out any weeds and rake in a nitrogen-rich fertiliser such as pelleted chicken manure to create a fine tilth to sow lettuce seeds into. Use the edge of a hoe to draw a 1.5cm deep drill along a taut garden line. Water along the drill before sowing, and sow a short length of the drill every couple of weeks to provide a continual supply of leaves.

Pinch the seed in your fingers and sow it sparsely to avoid having to thin seedlings later. Cover the seed with 1cm of soil and tamp it down.