How to Grow Lettuce
Lactuca sativa
The fastest, easiest cool-season green — perfect for succession sowing.
By the Plants by Zone Editorial Team · Reviewed June 1, 2026
About lettuce
Lettuce is one of the quickest and most beginner-friendly crops, going from seed to salad in as little as a month. It’s a cool-season plant that bolts (turns bitter and flowers) in summer heat, so the trick is sowing little and often in spring and fall. In hot zones, afternoon shade extends the season.
When to plant and harvest lettuce
Timing is relative to your frost dates. Find your USDA zone for exact dates, or browse the month-by-month calendars.
Start seeds indoors
4–6 weeks before last frost (optional)
Transplant outdoors
As soon as soil is workable
Direct sow
2–4 weeks before last frost, and again in late summer for fall
Harvest
Spring and fall
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How to grow lettuce step by step
- 1
Surface-sow seed and barely cover — light aids germination.
- 2
Succession-sow a short row every 2 weeks for a continuous supply.
- 3
Keep soil consistently moist; lettuce is shallow-rooted.
- 4
In warm weather, site in afternoon shade to delay bolting.
- 5
Harvest outer leaves or whole heads before summer heat arrives.
Common problems growing lettuce
⚠ Bolting (going to seed)
Triggered by heat and long days — sow heat-tolerant types and harvest before summer.
⚠ Bitter leaves
Heat stress and bolting; pick young and keep well watered.
⚠ Slugs
Hand-pick at night, use barriers, or set traps; they love tender lettuce.
✗ Keep away from
🧺 Harvesting lettuce
For leaf types, pick outer leaves and let the center keep growing (cut-and-come-again). Harvest in the cool of the morning when leaves are crisp.
Lettuce: frequently asked questions
When should you plant lettuce?＋
In most regions you start seeds indoors 4–6 weeks before last frost (optional), then transplant as soon as soil is workable — or direct sow 2–4 weeks before last frost, and again in late summer for fall. Timing is relative to your last frost, so find your USDA hardiness zone for the exact planting dates where you live.
Can lettuce grow in shade?＋
Yes — it’s one of the best vegetables for partial shade, which actually helps it last longer in warm weather.
Why did my lettuce get tall and bitter?＋
It bolted due to heat. Sow earlier in spring, again in fall, and choose slow-bolt varieties.
Sources & review
Written and maintained by the Plants by Zone Editorial Team. Planting times are based on USDA hardiness zones and NOAA frost-date normals, with care guidance drawn from Cooperative Extension sources. Last reviewed June 1, 2026.
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone MapNOAA U.S. climate normalsCooperative Extension
Grow lettuce in your zone
See exactly when to plant and what else to grow alongside lettuce, tailored to your USDA hardiness zone.
