When to Plant Head Lettuce
Head lettuce is a half-hardy cool-season vegetable. It takes light frosts but not a hard freeze.
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost, and plant out in the 3 weeks before the last frost. For a fall crop, set out transplants 7 to 10 weeks before the first fall frost. The first harvest comes about 50 to 70 days after transplanting.
Example dates
The same rules in dates for three climates, using typical frost dates. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.
| Task | Last frost Mar 15first Nov 15 | Last frost Apr 15first Oct 25 | Last frost May 15first Sep 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start seeds indoors | Jan 18 – Feb 1 | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Mar 20 – Apr 3 |
| Harden off | Feb 15 – 21 | Mar 18 – 24 | Apr 17 – 23 |
| Plant out | Feb 22 – Mar 15 | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | Apr 24 – May 15 |
| Harvest | Apr 13 – 27 | May 14 – 28 | Jun 13 – 27 |
| Fall: Start seeds indoors | Aug 2 – 16 | Jul 12 – 26 | Jun 17 – Jul 1 |
| Fall: Plant out | Sep 6 – 27 | Aug 16 – Sep 6 | Jul 22 – Aug 12 |
| Fall: Harvest | Oct 26 – Nov 9 | Oct 5 – 19 | Sep 10 – 24 |
Growing head lettuce
Set out hardened transplants early so heads form before hot weather; cut the whole head once it is firm.
- Spacing: 12 in apart, in rows 18 in apart. In a raised bed, 1 per sq ft at square-foot spacing.
- Days to harvest: 50 to 70 from transplanting, then about 2 weeks of picking.
- Successions: sow again every 21 days for a steady supply. See succession planting.
- Traditional companions: beet, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, cherry tomato, chives, cilantro, collards, cucumber, dill, fennel (florence), garlic, green onion, kale, kohlrabi, leek, mint, onion (bulb), parsley, radish, shallot, strawberry, sweet corn, tomato. See companion plants for head lettuce.
Plan your beds with these dates
Draw your beds, tap squares to plant head lettuce and everything else, and get every crop's dates for your ZIP code in one calendar. Free, in your browser.
Open the garden plannerQuestions
When do I start head lettuce indoors?
6 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost: with a last frost of April 15, that's Feb 18 – Mar 4. Enter your ZIP code above for your own dates.
Can head lettuce go in before the last frost?
Yes. Head lettuce is half-hardy: plant it out in the 3 weeks before the last spring frost.
How long does head lettuce take to grow?
About 50 to 70 days from transplanting to the first harvest, which then lasts about 2 weeks. Varieties differ: check the seed packet.
Can I grow head lettuce in fall?
Yes. Set out transplants 7 to 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.
How often should I sow head lettuce?
Every 21 days or so for a steady harvest, until the last sowing that still ripens before your first fall frost. The planner works that date out for your ZIP code.
More planting dates
Sources
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal, by station: freeze dates at 32 °F)
- Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech: Virginia's Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide: Recommended Planting Dates and Amounts to Plant (426-331 / SPES-673P, 2025)
- University of Maryland Extension: Vegetable Planting Calendar for central Maryland
- UNH Cooperative Extension: Growing Vegetables: When to Plant your Vegetable Garden (2016)
- NC State Extension: Extension Gardener Handbook, Chapter 16: Vegetable Gardening
- WSU Extension: Pacific Northwest Gardener's Handbook, Chapter 7: Vegetable Gardening
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach: Vegetable Planting and Harvesting Times (chart, central Iowa)
- Utah State University Extension: Starting Vegetable Seeds Indoors: I. Planning
- Purdue University Extension: Starting Seeds Indoors (HO-14-W)
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC: Small-Scale Gardening (square-foot planting guide)
- UC Master Gardener Program, UC ANR: Companion Planting Chart: Companion Planting for Edible Crops
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Kenosha County: Companion Plants for the Vegetable Garden (column, 2012)
- Oregon State University Extension Service: Companion Planting (Food Hero, 2021)
- Oregon State University Extension Service: Herbs and Flowers in the Vegetable Garden
- Utah State University Extension, Utah 4-H: Creating Sustainable School and Home Gardens: Companion Planting (2025)
- Penn State Extension: Herbs Make Good Plant Partners and Companions
- University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County: The Art of Companion Planting (Master Gardener presentation, 2023)
- N.C. A&T State University Cooperative Extension: Five Veggies You Can Grow at Home
- UF/IFAS Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program: Companion Planting (FFL in a Minute, 2020)