When to plant lettuce
Lettuce is a half-hardy, cool-season green that matures in about 45–60 days from sowing. Start seeds indoors about 4–6 weeks before your last spring frost, then direct-sow about 2–4 weeks before the last frost. Because the right calendar date depends on your local frost dates, pick your ZIP or city on the home planner to see exact lettuce planting windows for your location; the per-location pages list them city by city. Windows are extension-guide planning ranges, not guarantees.
Lettuce at a glance
| Category | cool-season green |
|---|---|
| Frost tolerance | Half-hardy |
| Start indoors | 4–6 weeks before last frost |
| Plant out | Direct-sow 2–4 wk before last frost |
| Days to maturity | 45–60 days (from sow) |
| Min. soil temp | 40°F |
| Second (fall) crop | Yes — count back from first fall frost |
Data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (public domain) and USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Planting windows synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides.
Lettuce planting windows by city
The exact dates depend on each location's average frost calendar. Here is lettuce across 40 locations spanning the climate range — open one for its full printable calendar, or find your own dates with the ZIP planner.
| Location | Zone | Start indoors | Plant out | First harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adak, AK | 8b | Apr 19 – May 3 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 17 – Jul 2 |
| Fort Payne, AL | 7b | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Mar 1 – Mar 15 | Apr 15 – Apr 30 |
| Saratoga, AR | 8b | Feb 12 – Feb 26 | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | Apr 12 – Apr 27 |
| Top-of-the-World, AZ | 8a | Jan 13 – Jan 27 | Jan 27 – Feb 10 | Mar 13 – Mar 28 |
| Half Moon Bay, CA | 10a | Jan 1 – Jan 9 | Jan 9 – Jan 23 | Feb 23 – Mar 10 |
| Rohnert Park, CA | 9a | Jan 17 – Jan 31 | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Mar 17 – Apr 1 |
| Ellicott, CO | 6a | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | May 23 – Jun 7 |
| Millsboro, DE | 7b | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | Apr 21 – May 6 |
| Yankeetown, FL | 9b | Jan 17 – Jan 31 | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Mar 17 – Apr 1 |
| Volcano, HI | 11a | — | year-round | — |
| Boise, ID | 7a | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 11 – May 26 |
| Effingham, IL | 6b | Mar 2 – Mar 16 | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | Apr 30 – May 15 |
| Indianapolis, IN | 6a | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 8 – May 23 |
| Minneapolis, KS | 6b | Mar 9 – Mar 23 | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | May 7 – May 22 |
| Bayou Blue, LA | 9b | Jan 1 – Jan 8 | Jan 8 – Jan 22 | Feb 22 – Mar 9 |
| Glen Burnie, MD | 8a | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 27 – May 12 |
| Elk Rapids, MI | 6a | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 17 – Jun 1 |
| Dawson, MN | 4b | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | May 20 – Jun 4 |
| Cayuga, OK | 7a | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | May 2 – May 17 |
| Cleveland, MS | 8b | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 31 – Apr 15 |
| Island Park, ID | 4a | May 4 – May 18 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 2 – Jul 17 |
| Hickory, NC | 8a | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | Apr 17 – May 2 |
| Litchville, ND | 4a | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Apr 12 – Apr 26 | May 27 – Jun 11 |
| Plainview, NE | 5b | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 17 – Jun 1 |
| Capulin, NM | 5b | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | Apr 19 – May 3 | Jun 3 – Jun 18 |
| Gabbs, NV | 6b | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | May 18 – Jun 2 |
| Madrid, NY | 4b | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 16 – May 31 |
| London, OH | 6a | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 11 – May 26 |
| Perkins, OK | 7b | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | Apr 20 – May 5 |
| Shedd, OR | 8b | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 31 – Apr 15 |
| Seltzer, PA | 6a | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | May 3 – May 18 |
| Custer, SD | 5a | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 9 – Jun 24 |
| Lynchburg, TN | 7b | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | Apr 24 – May 9 |
| Early, TX | 8a | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Apr 8 – Apr 23 |
| Ozona, TX | 8a | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 13 – Apr 28 |
| Fillmore, UT | 6a | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | Apr 6 – Apr 20 | May 21 – Jun 5 |
| Hillsville, VA | 7a | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 12 – May 27 |
| Green Bluff, WA | 6b | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | Apr 24 – May 8 | Jun 8 – Jun 23 |
| Gordon, WI | 4a | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | Apr 24 – May 8 | Jun 8 – Jun 23 |
| Elk Garden, WV | 6b | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 17 – Jun 1 |
How to time lettuce
Lettuce is a half-hardy cool-season green. Half-hardy crops tolerate light frost, so they can go out a few weeks before the last spring frost but should be protected from a hard freeze. Start seeds indoors about 4–6 weeks before your last frost, then direct-sow 2–4 wk before last frost. It matures in roughly 45–60 days from sowing. It also works as a fall crop: count back from the first fall frost by its days-to-maturity plus a short buffer.
Find your own dates on the home planner, browse all crops, or read the methodology for the offsets and citations behind these windows.
Frequently asked questions
- Is lettuce frost-tolerant?
- Lettuce is a half-hardy crop. Half-hardy crops tolerate light frost, so they can go out a few weeks before the last spring frost but should be protected from a hard freeze.
- How long does lettuce take to grow?
- About 45–60 days from sowing to first harvest, depending on variety and weather. Days-to-maturity ranges are typical values from U.S. Cooperative Extension planting guides.
- When should I start lettuce seeds indoors?
- Start seeds indoors roughly 4–6 weeks before your average last spring frost, then sow out direct-sow about 2–4 weeks before the last frost. Look up your local last-frost date on the planner for exact calendar dates.
- Can I grow lettuce as a fall crop?
- Yes. Lettuce is commonly grown as a second, fall crop by counting back from the average first fall frost by its days-to-maturity plus a short buffer. The per-location pages show a fall planting window where the season allows one.