When can I plant lettuce (butterhead) outside?

Direct sow or transplant 4 weeks before your last spring frost.

How long until lettuce (butterhead) is ready to harvest?

45-60 days. Loose head feels full but still soft; harvest whole head or pick outer leaves; morning harvest is crispest

When to Plant Lettuce (Butterhead)

Lactuca sativa var. capitata

leafy_greenZones 2–10beginner

Tender, buttery heads with a delicate, mild flavor. Perfect for salads and wraps. Quick-growing cool-season crop that can be grown almost year-round with succession planting.

Planting calendar

Direct sow / transplant

4 weeks before your last spring frost.

Fall planting

6 weeks before your first fall frost.

Succession plant every 10-14 days for continuous harvest; bolts in heat

Spacing & harvest

Plant spacing: 6-10 inches
Row spacing: 12-18 inches
Days to harvest: 45-60 days
Ready when: Loose head feels full but still soft; harvest whole head or pick outer leaves; morning harvest is crispest

Companion planting

Plant near

Carrot — Lettuce provides shade for carrots
Radish — Fast radishes mark rows before slow lettuce appears
Chives — Deters aphids

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Sources: Purdue University Turfgrass Science: Use Growing Degree Days to Better Time Your Applications · University of Missouri Extension: Cool-Season Grasses: Lawn Maintenance Calendar · University of Minnesota Extension: Pre-emergent Herbicides for Crabgrass Control in Lawns