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When to plant lettuce in zone 3b

In zone 3b, where the last spring frost typically comes around May 17, start lettuce indoors March 22 to April 5 and plant out May 10 to 24. For a fall crop, plant June 25 to July 30.

The zone 3b schedule for lettuce

Start seeds indoors
March 22 to April 5
Plant out
May 10 to 24
Sow outdoors
April 26 to May 3
First harvest, roughly
June 9 to August 2
Plant for a fall crop
June 25 to July 30

From the median frost dates of the NOAA stations assigned to the 200 ZIP codes in zone 3b, and the timing recommended by Cooperative Extension guides for lettuce.

Dates before the last frost assume the soil has thawed and is dry enough to work: a squeezed handful crumbles instead of sticking. After a late or wet spring, wait for that even if the date has passed.

Frost risk in zone 3b

Zones are based on winter cold, not on frost dates, so the last spring frost varies a lot within a zone. Across zone 3b, the typical last frost ranges from about May 12 in the earliest tenth of ZIP codes to May 29 in the latest tenth, and the first fall frost from September 13 to October 1. For a typical place in the zone:

  • May 4Risky: a later frost happens in 9 years out of 10
  • May 17Typical: frost after this date in half of years
  • May 30Safe: a later frost only 1 year in 10

Your dates for lettuce

Set your ZIP code at the top of the page and we will work out when to plant lettuce where you live, from the frost records of the nearest NOAA weather station. Your ZIP code is remembered on this device only.

Enter your ZIP code

How to grow lettuceAll zonesLettuce in zone 3aLettuce in zone 4aAbout zone 3b

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