🥬When to Plant Lettuce (2026)
Cool-season green that can go out weeks before the last frost.
- Type: Cool-season
- Method: Direct sow or transplant
- Days to harvest: 45
- Spacing: 8" apart
- Sun: Full sun to part shade
- Companions: carrot, radish, cucumber
Is Lettuce right for your USDA zone?
Lettuce is a cool-season crop, which means it thrives in the mild temperatures of spring and fall. Gardeners in zones 3a through 7b get the longest lettuce season — you can plant in early spring and again in late summer for a fall harvest. In warmer zones (8a-10b), grow lettuce as a winter crop from October through February when temperatures are coolest.
Lettuce needs about 45 days from sowing to harvest, so any zone with at least 59frost-free days can grow it successfully. Check your zone's specific dates in the table below.
Lettuce planting dates by zone (2026)
| Zone | Start Indoors | Sow / Transplant | Harvest From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3a | Apr 17 | Apr 24 | Jun 8 |
| Zone 3b | Apr 17 | Apr 24 | Jun 8 |
| Zone 4a | Apr 12 | Apr 19 | Jun 3 |
| Zone 4b | Apr 7 | Apr 14 | May 29 |
| Zone 5a | Apr 2 | Apr 9 | May 24 |
| Zone 5b | Mar 28 | Apr 4 | May 19 |
| Zone 6a | Mar 23 | Mar 30 | May 14 |
| Zone 6b | Mar 18 | Mar 25 | May 9 |
| Zone 7a | Mar 13 | Mar 20 | May 4 |
| Zone 7b | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | Apr 29 |
| Zone 8a | Feb 25 | Mar 4 | Apr 18 |
| Zone 8b | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Apr 8 |
| Zone 9a | Jan 28 | Feb 4 | Mar 21 |
| Zone 9b | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Mar 6 |
| Zone 10a | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Feb 24 |
| Zone 10b | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Feb 8 |