🥬 When to Plant Lettuce

When should I plant lettuce?

Plant lettuce outdoors 6 weeks before last frost. For a head start, start seeds indoors 4 weeks before your area's last frost date. Transplants can go out 4 weeks before last frost.

Is lettuce frost sensitive?

Lettuce can tolerate light frost, surviving temperatures as low as 28°F. This makes it a great candidate for early spring or fall planting when other crops can't go out yet.

What temperature does lettuce need?

Lettuce grows best between 45°F and 65°F. It can survive down to 28°F, but growth slows significantly below 45°F. It prefers cool weather and may bolt or stop producing if summer heat arrives early.

How long does lettuce take to grow?

Lettuce typically takes 30–60 days from transplant (or direct sow) to first harvest.

Should I start lettuce seeds indoors?

Yes — start lettuce seeds indoors 4 weeks before your area's last expected frost date. This gives seedlings time to develop strong roots before outdoor conditions are ready.

Is it too cold to plant lettuce?

It is too cold to plant Lettuce outdoors when nighttime temperatures are falling below 28°F. While Lettuce can tolerate temperatures as low as 28°F, growth will be slow until nights consistently exceed 45°F. Use CanIPlant to check your local 7-day forecast and get a real-time answer for your ZIP code.

Is it too hot to plant lettuce?

Lettuce starts to struggle when temperatures climb above 65°F. As a cool-season crop, Lettuce is especially heat-sensitive — high temperatures cause bolting, bitter flavor, or complete crop failure. Avoid planting in the peak of summer and opt for spring or fall instead. CanIPlant checks your local forecast highs to flag this automatically.

Any tips for growing lettuce?

Cool-season crop. Bolts in heat.