Lettuce Planting Guide

May

May lettuce essentials

Month-by-month lettuce fundamentals. Your frost dates change the timing, so pick your county for a tailored plan.

Sun partial shade

Water moderate

Days to harvest 30–60

Plant depth 0.5″

Spacing 6″

How to water lettuce
Consistent moisture matters more than volume for lettuce. Little and often beats occasional drenching.
Where to put lettuce
lettuce wants at least 6 hours of direct sun. Less than that and you'll get leggy plants with weak yields.
Check your local forecast before planting
Your zone determines the exact week to plant lettuce. Pick your county below and we'll line everything up against your frost dates.

See when to plant lettuce where you live →

Lettuce is a fast-growing cool-season green available in leaf, romaine, butterhead, and crisphead types. It is the foundation of salads and one of the easiest crops to grow.

Lactuca sativa · Vegetable · Asteraceae family · 30–60 days to maturity

Get Your Personalized Lettuce Planting Dates

Enter your ZIP code to see exact planting dates, soil compatibility, and growing tips specific to your county.

Where Can You Grow Lettuce?

Zone Compatibility for Lettuce Zones 2a – 11b

1a 1b 2a 2b 3a 3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b 10a 10b 11a 11b 12a 12b 13a 13b

Ideal (data available) Suitable Marginal Not recommended

Planting Dates by Zone

Zone	Start Indoors	Direct Sow	Transplant	Harvest
Zone 2a	Apr 18	May 23	May 30	Jul 4 – Sep 12
Zone 2b	Apr 10	May 15	May 22	Jun 26 – Sep 4
Zone 3a	Apr 3	May 8	May 15	Jun 19 – Aug 28
Zone 3b	Mar 29	May 3	May 10	Jun 14 – Aug 23
Zone 4a	Mar 25	Apr 29	May 6	Jun 10 – Aug 19
Zone 4b	Mar 20	Apr 24	May 1	Jun 5 – Aug 14
Zone 5a	Mar 21	Apr 11	Apr 25	May 30 – Aug 8
Zone 5b	Mar 14	Apr 4	Apr 18	May 23 – Aug 1
Zone 6a	Mar 6	Mar 27	Apr 10	May 15 – Jul 24
Zone 6b	Feb 27	Mar 20	Apr 3	May 8 – Jul 17
Zone 7a	Feb 18	Mar 11	Mar 25	Apr 29 – Jul 8
Zone 7b	Feb 11	Mar 4	Mar 18	Apr 22 – Jul 1
Zone 8a	Feb 1	Feb 22	Mar 8	Apr 12 – Jun 21
Zone 8b	Jan 21	Feb 11	Feb 25	Apr 1 – Jun 10
Zone 9a	Jan 13	Jan 20	Feb 10	Mar 17 – May 26
Zone 9b	Dec 28	Jan 4	Jan 25	Mar 1 – May 10
Zone 10a	Dec 4	Dec 11	Jan 1	Feb 5 – Apr 16
Zone 10b	Dec 4	Dec 11	Jan 1	Feb 5 – Apr 16
Zone 11a	Dec 4	Dec 11	Jan 1	Feb 5 – Apr 16
Zone 11b	Dec 4	Dec 11	Jan 1	Feb 5 – Apr 16

Why are some columns showing "—"?

Transplant shows "—" because Lettuce is best direct sown where it will grow. Transplanting can disturb the roots and slow growth.

How to Plant Lettuce

0.5"

Planting Depth

Between Plants

12"

Between Rows

🍂 Fall planting: Sow 10 weeks before your first frost date for a fall harvest.

Growing Conditions

☀️ Sun

Partial Shade (3-6 hours)

💧 Water

0.7"/week

Water when the top inch of soil feels dry. Consistent moisture produces the best results.

🧪 Soil pH

6 – 7

Prefers neutral to slightly acidic soil — ideal for most garden beds.

🗺️ Hardiness Zones

Zone 2a – 11b

📅 Days to Maturity

30–60 days

One of the fastest crops — harvest in under a month!

👪 Plant Family

Asteraceae

Rotate with other families yearly to prevent soil-borne diseases. Don't plant in the same spot where Asteraceae family crops grew last year.

Succession Planting Lettuce

Lettuce matures in just 30–60 days, making it ideal for succession planting. In a typical 180-day growing season, you can get up to 7 successive plantings by sowing every 3.4 weeks.

Your actual succession count depends on your local frost dates. Enter your ZIP code to get personalized succession planting dates for your area.

Companion Planting for Lettuce

✅ Good Companions

Carrots Radish Chives Onion

❌ Keep Away From

Celery

Check more combinations with our Companion Planting Checker →

Growing Tips for Lettuce

Sow seeds directly every 2 weeks for continuous harvest. Provide afternoon shade in warm weather to delay bolting. Harvest in the morning for crispest leaves.

💧 Watering: Lettuce needs approximately 0.7 inches of water per week during active growth. Adjust based on your local rainfall — check your county page for a monthly watering guide specific to your area.

Saving Lettuce Seeds

🌾 Save Your Own Lettuce Seeds

Life Cycle Annual

Pollination Self-Pollinating

How to Collect Let plants bolt and flower. Harvest seed heads when fluffy.

Storage Store airtight; viable 6 years at 35°F, under 45% humidity.

Very easy to save. Let a few plants bolt each season.

Get our full Seed Saving Guide for 200 plants →

Recommended for Your Garden

🌱

Seed Starting Trays $8-20

Start seeds indoors with reusable cell trays and humidity domes.

🧪

Soil Test Kit $12-25

Test your soil pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels before planting.

🏷️

Garden Plant Markers $6-12

Keep your garden organized with durable, weather-resistant plant labels.

Reader favourite

Seed Saving & Storage Guide

$27 $157 value

Most saved seeds go bad before next season. This shows exactly when to pick, how to dry, and where to store seeds from 200 plants so yours don't.

200 plants, step-by-step: life cycle, pollination type, isolation
Exact temperature + humidity ranges that keep seeds viable
Bonus: searchable Google Sheets tracker + custom GPT assistant

Save a lifetime of seed money →

Lettuce by State

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to grow Lettuce?

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) takes 30 to 60 days from planting to harvest. Exact timing depends on your variety, growing conditions, and USDA zone.

What zones can Lettuce grow in?

Lettuce can be grown in USDA zones 2a through 11b. Use the planting calendar above to find the exact dates for your zone.

How much sun does Lettuce need?

Growing Lettuce requires Partial Shade (3-6 hours), Moderate — regular watering, and soil pH of 6 to 7.