When to plant lettuce
Lettuce is a cool-season crop that tolerates light frost. Sow it outside from about four weeks before the last frost, and again in late summer for fall. Hot weather (days above about 80°F) makes it bolt and turn bitter, so spring and fall are the main seasons.
Lettuce seed needs light to germinate: press it onto the surface and cover barely at all. Seed goes dormant above about 80°F soil, so start late-summer sowings in a cool spot.
- Start seeds indoors
- 6–8 weeks before last frost
- Sow or transplant outside
- 4 weeks before to 2 weeks after last frost
- Sow for a fall crop
- 6–8 weeks before first fall frost
- Frost
- Hardy: tolerates frost
- Soil temp
- 40°F (4°C) or warmer
- Depth
- ⅛ in
- Spacing
- 8 in apart, rows 12 in · 4 per square foot
- Harvest
- 30–70 days
Your dates for lettuce
Tips for growing lettuce
- Sow a short row every two weeks instead of one big sowing.
- Loose-leaf types can be cut again and again; heads take longer.
- In summer, grow in the shade of taller crops or under shade cloth.
Choosing neighbours? See companion plants for lettuce. Working out how many fit? Use the spacing calculator.
Lettuce: common timing questions
Can lettuce survive frost?
Yes, most lettuce handles light frost to about 28°F. Hard freezes damage leaves; row cover extends the season.
Why is my lettuce bitter?
Heat, long days and dry soil trigger bolting. Harvest before flower stalks appear, and grow heat-tolerant varieties in summer.