Lettuce plant profile
Lactuca sativa
An annual vegetable for full sun.
Last updated .
When to plant
When to plant Lettuce
Start seeds indoors
6 weeks before your last spring frost to 5 weeks before your last spring frost
Transplant outdoors
at your last spring frost
Direct sow
3 weeks before your last spring frost to 2 weeks before your last spring frost
Fall planting
13 weeks before your first fall frost to 8 weeks before your first fall frost
Growing conditions
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- 1 in / week
- Planting depth
- 0.25 in
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Spacing
- 8 to 12 in apart, rows 12 in
Common problems
Watch for these
By hardiness zone
Lettuce by zone
Planting dates for a typical location in each zone:
Evidence trail
Evidence behind this profile
Original extension and institutional publications behind the planting, care, and safety facts on this page.
- How to Grow Lettuce in Your Garden
Utah State University Extension. Supports indoor seed-starting timing (derived), outdoor transplant timing (normalized), direct-sowing timing (direct), fall direct-sowing timing (derived), plant and row spacing (direct), planting depth (direct), water needs (direct), and common problems (direct). Checked 2026-06-11.