When to Plant Leaf Lettuce
Leaf lettuce is a half-hardy cool-season vegetable. It takes light frosts but not a hard freeze.
Sow it outdoors from 4 weeks before the last spring frost to 2 weeks after it. For a fall crop, sow 5 to 8 weeks before the first fall frost. The first harvest comes about 40 to 55 days after sowing.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sow outdoors | Feb 15 – Mar 29 | Mar 18 – Apr 29 | Apr 17 – May 29 |
| Harvest | Mar 27 – Apr 24 | Apr 27 – May 25 | May 27 – Jun 24 |
| Fall: Sow outdoors | Sep 20 – Oct 11 | Aug 30 – Sep 20 | Aug 5 – 26 |
| Fall: Harvest | Oct 30 – Nov 27 | Oct 9 – Nov 6 | Sep 14 – Oct 12 |
Growing leaf lettuce
Sow small amounts every couple of weeks and pick outer leaves; lettuce turns bitter and bolts in summer heat.
- Spacing: 6 in apart, in rows 12 in apart. In a raised bed, 4 per sq ft at square-foot spacing.
- Days to harvest: 40 to 55 from sowing, then about 4 weeks of picking.
- Successions: sow again every 14 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 leaf lettuce.
Plan your beds with these dates
Draw your beds, tap squares to plant leaf 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
Can leaf lettuce go in before the last frost?
Yes. Leaf lettuce is half-hardy: sow it from 4 weeks before the last spring frost to 2 weeks after it.
How long does leaf lettuce take to grow?
About 40 to 55 days from sowing to the first harvest, which then lasts about 4 weeks. Varieties differ: check the seed packet.
Can I grow leaf lettuce in fall?
Yes. Sow 5 to 8 weeks before the first fall frost. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.
How often should I sow leaf lettuce?
Every 14 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)
- Colorado State University Extension: Vegetable Planting Guide (CMG GardenNotes #720)
- 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
- NC State Extension: Extension Gardener Handbook, Chapter 16: Vegetable Gardening
- Iowa State: Fall Planting of Vegetables
- Iowa State: Early Spring Planting of Vegetables
- Iowa State: Growing Leafy Greens in Iowa
- Utah State University Extension: Suggested Vegetable Planting Dates for Utah
- Montana State University Extension: Can I Grow That Here? Vegetable Seed and Transplant Schedules (MontGuide MT199308AG, rev. 2018)
- 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)