Cool-season crops
Lettuce planting calendar and growing plan
Decide whether you want full heads, mini heads or baby leaves before choosing a lettuce layout. Harvest purpose also changes the reviewed succession option.
Plan dates for Lettuce
Editable exampleTransplant outside
Apr 3 – 10, 2027 Suggested windowDirect sow
Apr 10 – 17, 2027 Suggested windowPaired transplant date (optional)
| Transplant outside | Start indoors |
|---|---|
| Apr 3, 2027 | Feb 27 – Mar 6, 2027 |
| Apr 10, 2027 | Mar 6 – 13, 2027 |
Sowing windows combine possible transplant dates. Choose a paired transplant date to narrow the nursery window. Wait for suitable soil and local conditions.
Direct sowing and transplanting are alternative ways to start a crop. Keep the tasks that match your method.
Sources and conditions
The nursery range is tied to the selected setting-out date, so moving that date moves the indoor window.
- These are reviewed planning references. Check the variety, local soil and weather before acting; a frost date is not a forecast.
- The nursery reference is for transplant production. Harden plants before setting them out.
The transplant reference can precede last frost under suitable cool-season conditions.
- These are reviewed planning references. Check the variety, local soil and weather before acting; a frost date is not a forecast.
- The nursery reference is for transplant production. Harden plants before setting them out.
This reviewed spring window is for direct sowing head lettuce; summer and protected crops need their own assessment.
- These are reviewed planning references. Check the variety, local soil and weather before acting; a frost date is not a forecast.
- Use the spring head-lettuce reference with workable soil and cool conditions; it is not a year-round schedule.
A planning reference, not a weather forecast.
Choose the action and harvest goal
The spring record offers direct sowing and transplant production. Pick the intended action once for each batch. A baby-leaf crop should not inherit the full-head spacing simply because both are lettuce.
Keep the source systems distinct
The Minnesota spacing source separates harvest stages. Its row distances are preserved alongside plant spacing. A compact square grid can be a user arrangement, but it should not be labeled as that source’s row recommendation.
Review the autumn boundary
The succession chart gives different latest-sowing references for heads and baby leaves. The baby-leaf rule has a protected-cover exception; neither rule promises a harvest by frost.
Questions growers ask
Can I set a two-week repeat interval?
Yes, as an explicit user override. It is not the selected source default for either full-head or baby-leaf lettuce.
Sources and conditions
These sources describe particular climates and growing methods. Use the conditions alongside the numbers.
Seed-Starting Date Calculator ↗
General nursery and setting-out reference, using a user-supplied spring frost-free date. Nursery duration is measured before setting out.
Succession Planting Charts for Vegetables ↗
General intervals under standard growing practices. Crop purpose and protected-cover exceptions matter; these are not harvest guarantees.
Growing lettuce, endive and radicchio in home gardens ↗
Lettuce-specific harvest stages and final spacing are selected from the guide; chicory instructions are not transferred to lettuce.
How to Grow Lettuce in Your Garden ↗
Spring direct-sowing timing for head lettuce in Utah; distinct from the selected Minnesota spacing source.