Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Webb's Wonderful Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)— schedule & NPK
Also called Crisphead lettuce, Iceberg-type lettuce, Webb's Wonderful.
More about webb's wonderful lettuce
About Webb's Wonderful Lettuce
Lactuca sativa · also called Crisphead lettuce, Iceberg-type lettuce · edible
Webb's Wonderful is a classic British crisphead lettuce prized for its large, tightly-packed hearts and crisp texture. Sow successionally from March to August for harvests across the season. Fast-maturing at around 70 days, it thrives in cool weather. Fully edible and pet-safe — no toxicity concerns for dogs, cats, or humans.
Growth habit: Low-growing annual rosette forming a tight heart
Watch for — Tip burn: Brown leaf margins caused by calcium deficiency under heat or humidity. Improve air circulation and ensure consistent watering.
What fertiliser webb's wonderful lettuce actually wants — and why
Webb's Wonderful Lettuce is grown entirely for its leaves, so nitrogen is the priority — steady, nitrogen-leaning feeding keeps it growing fast, tender and unbolted.
A nitrogen-leaning feed (higher first number) or compost-rich soil — nitrogen drives the fast, tender leafy growth this crop is grown for. Phosphorus and potassium matter far less here than for fruiting crops.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for webb's wonderful lettuce: match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed webb's wonderful lettuce, and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For webb's wonderful lettuce:
Apply a balanced granular fertiliser (e.g. 10-10-10) at planting. A liquid feed of nitrogen-rich fertiliser once midway through growth supports leafy development, but avoid overfeeding nitrogen close to harvest. In practice: a balanced or compost-rich start, then a nitrogen side-dress or liquid feed every 3-4 weeks through the cropping period in the main season (spring through early autumn).
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when webb's wonderful lettuce is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for webb's wonderful lettuce
Use the vegetable-feed label rate for webb's wonderful lettuce. Steady availability matters more than a strong dose — a check in growth makes leaves tough and can trigger bolting.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water webb's wonderful lettuce first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the webb's wonderful lettuce watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding webb's wonderful lettuce
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for webb's wonderful lettuce:
- Very soft, floppy, dark-green growth that attracts aphids.
- Excess leafy growth at the expense of hearts/heads in cabbage and the like.
- Salt crust and scorched leaf edges in containers; nitrate-heavy leaves.
Signs you are under-feeding webb's wonderful lettuce
- Pale, yellow-green leaves, oldest first, and slow growth.
- Small, tough, bitter leaves and premature bolting.
- Weak, stunted heads in cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full webb's wonderful lettuce care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
For container-grown webb's wonderful lettuce, water until it drains freely each time and flush pots monthly with plain water to stop nitrogen salts accumulating; in the ground, good compost levels naturally buffer this.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for webb's wonderful lettuce
Organic options
Well-rotted manure or compost dug in, plus nitrogen-rich liquid feeds like diluted chicken-manure pellets or nettle feed. UK: pelleted chicken manure or Westland; US: Espoma Garden-tone or blood meal. Steady and soil-building.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A balanced feed at planting then a high-nitrogen liquid or granular side-dress — UK: Growmore then a nitrogen feed or Phostrogen; US: a 10-10-10 then a high-N (e.g. 21-0-0) side-dress or Miracle-Gro.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising webb's wonderful lettuce — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does webb's wonderful lettuce need?
A nitrogen-leaning feed (higher first number) or compost-rich soil — nitrogen drives the fast, tender leafy growth this crop is grown for. Phosphorus and potassium matter far less here than for fruiting crops. Webb's Wonderful Lettuce is grown entirely for its leaves, so nitrogen is the priority — steady, nitrogen-leaning feeding keeps it growing fast, tender and unbolted.
How often should I feed webb's wonderful lettuce?
Apply a balanced granular fertiliser (e.g. 10-10-10) at planting. A liquid feed of nitrogen-rich fertiliser once midway through growth supports leafy development, but avoid overfeeding nitrogen close to harvest. Apply a balanced granular fertiliser (e.g. 10-10-10) at planting. A liquid feed of nitrogen-rich fertiliser once midway through growth supports leafy development, but avoid overfeeding nitrogen close to harvest. In practice: a balanced or compost-rich start, then a nitrogen side-dress or liquid feed every 3-4 weeks through the cropping period in the main season (spring through early autumn).
What strength of feed for webb's wonderful lettuce?
Use the vegetable-feed label rate for webb's wonderful lettuce. Steady availability matters more than a strong dose — a check in growth makes leaves tough and can trigger bolting.
What does over-feeding webb's wonderful lettuce look like?
Very soft, floppy, dark-green growth that attracts aphids. Excess leafy growth at the expense of hearts/heads in cabbage and the like. Salt crust and scorched leaf edges in containers; nitrate-heavy leaves. Letting webb's wonderful lettuce run short of nitrogen mid-crop is the main mistake — growth checks, leaves toughen and brassicas/leafy greens bolt or turn bitter. Keep nitrogen steadily available.
Should I flush the soil of webb's wonderful lettuce?
For container-grown webb's wonderful lettuce, water until it drains freely each time and flush pots monthly with plain water to stop nitrogen salts accumulating; in the ground, good compost levels naturally buffer this.
Keep reading
- Webb's Wonderful Lettuce care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water webb's wonderful lettuce — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
- How to fertilise jewel sweet potato
- How to fertilise white guinea yam
- How to fertilise cassava
- All 11687 fertilising guides in the Growli library