When to Plant Lettuce: Spring and Fall Dates by Frost, Types and Succession

Lettuce grows best when the average daily temperature is between 60 and 70°F, Illinois Extension says. That makes timing simple: plant it in the cool weeks around your last spring frost and again as summer cools off, and use shade and quick-maturing leaf types to stretch the seasons.

Spring dates by last frost

Our planting calendar lets you sow or transplant lettuce outdoors from about 4 weeks before your average last frost to about 2 weeks after, and start head lettuce indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the frost date. University of Maryland Extension says young transplants 3 to 4 weeks old work well, so starting a little later than the indoor window is fine.

Regional examples: in central Maryland (last frost around April 15), UMD lists leaf lettuce seeded outdoors from mid-March through May, romaine from April to mid-May, and head lettuce started indoors in March and transplanted in April. Illinois Extension says leaf, cos and butterhead lettuce can go in any time in spring once the soil is dry enough to rake, and that spring planting should be finished at least a month before the really hot days of early summer.

No frost date handy? The carrot and lettuce zone table shows the same windows by USDA zone.

Seed or transplant? It depends on the type

Sow seeds ¼ to ½ inch deep (Illinois). Some lettuce seed, especially white-seeded types, needs light to germinate, so press it into the soil rather than burying it, and keep the seedbed moist until it comes up.

Sow a little, often

A row of lettuce is at its best for only a couple of weeks before it gets bitter or bolts. Illinois Extension recommends two or more plantings 10 to 14 days apart for a continuous supply. Cut-and-come-again leaf lettuce regrows in 2 to 3 weeks (UMD), which stretches each sowing further. Our succession planting guide shows how to plan the rounds.

Getting through summer

Where summers are hot, most gardeners stop sowing lettuce in early summer and start again as it cools. If you want to keep going, Illinois says heat-tolerant loose-leaf varieties can grow in the shade of taller crops through much of the summer with careful watering, and UMD suggests shade cloth and slow-bolting varieties. See what to plant with lettuce for using tomatoes and other tall crops as shade.

Fall and winter lettuce

Lettuce planted in late summer matures in cool fall weather, which is often the best lettuce of the year. In central Maryland (first frost around October 25), UMD lists leaf lettuce and romaine seeded mid-July through August, roughly 8 to 14 weeks before frost, and head lettuce started indoors in early July and transplanted in the first three weeks of August. UMD also describes overwintering 3-week-old transplants set out around mid-October in Maryland under row covers or a cold frame. Average fall leaf-lettuce planting dates by Texas gardening region (Texas A&M):

In Florida, lettuce is a cool-season transplant: University of Florida IFAS lists it for September to October and January to March in North Florida and September through February in Central and South Florida.

Where lettuce goes in the garden

Lettuce is a good filler between slow crops and shares a bed well with carrots and radishes; extension lists suggest keeping it away from onions and garlic. See what to plant with lettuce, when to plant carrots (almost the same spring window) and when to plant spinach and kale in fall for other cool-season greens.

Frequently asked questions

When should I plant lettuce in spring?

From about 4 weeks before your average last frost to about 2 weeks after. Illinois Extension says leaf, cos and butterhead can go in once the soil is dry enough to rake.

Can lettuce take frost?

Light frost, yes. UMD describes lettuce as semi-hardy, tolerating light frost. Protect it with row covers on hard freezes.

Should I direct sow or transplant lettuce?

Leaf, butterhead and romaine can be direct sown or transplanted. Head (crisphead) lettuce is usually transplanted; UMD says 3- to 4-week-old transplants work well.

How often should I plant lettuce?

Every 10 to 14 days, Illinois Extension suggests, for a continuous supply instead of one big harvest.

Is it too late to plant lettuce in summer?

In hot summers, yes for most types; it bolts and turns bitter. Start again in late summer for fall. UMD lists mid-July through August in central Maryland.

How long does lettuce take to grow?

Leaf lettuce reaches full size in about 50 to 60 days and butterhead in 60 to 70 (Illinois), but you can start picking leaves much sooner.