How to grow lettuce
Lactuca sativa
Get your exact dates
The windows below are relative to your frost dates. Enter your ZIP for the calendar dates.
Open the planting calendarWhen to plant lettuce
Start seeds indoors6 weeks before your last spring frost to 5 weeks before your last spring frost
Transplant outdoorsat your last spring frost
Direct sow3 weeks before your last spring frost to 2 weeks before your last spring frost
Fall planting13 weeks before your first fall frost to 8 weeks before your first fall frost
Growing conditions
- Spacing
- 8 to 12 in apart, rows 12 in
- Planting depth
- 0.25 in
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- 1 in per week
Common problems
Lettuce by hardiness zone
Planting dates for a typical location in each zone:
Sources
Last updated 2026-06-11.