When to plant lettuce in zone 5a
In zone 5a, where the last spring frost typically comes around May 3, start lettuce indoors March 8 to 22 and plant out April 26 to May 10. For a fall crop, plant July 5 to August 9.
The zone 5a schedule for lettuce
- Start seeds indoors
- March 8 to 22
- Plant out
- April 26 to May 10
- Sow outdoors
- April 12 to 19
- First harvest, roughly
- May 26 to July 19
- Plant for a fall crop
- July 5 to August 9
From the median frost dates of the NOAA stations assigned to the 2,200 ZIP codes in zone 5a, 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 5a
Zones are based on winter cold, not on frost dates, so the last spring frost varies a lot within a zone. Across zone 5a, the typical last frost ranges from about April 27 in the earliest tenth of ZIP codes to May 21 in the latest tenth, and the first fall frost from September 25 to October 13. For a typical place in the zone:
- April 20Risky: a later frost happens in 9 years out of 10
- May 3Typical: frost after this date in half of years
- May 17Safe: 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.
Lettuce in zone 5a cities
| City | Typical last frost | Start indoors | Plant out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis, MN | Apr 23 | Feb 26 to Mar 12 | Apr 16 to 30 |
| St. Paul, MN | Apr 23 | Feb 26 to Mar 12 | Apr 16 to 30 |
| Anchorage, AK | May 5 | Mar 10 to 24 | Apr 28 to May 12 |
| Sioux Falls, SD | May 1 | Mar 6 to 20 | Apr 24 to May 8 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | Apr 28 | Mar 3 to 17 | Apr 21 to May 5 |
| Billings, MT | May 10 | Mar 15 to 29 | May 3 to 17 |
| Bloomington, MN | Apr 23 | Feb 26 to Mar 12 | Apr 16 to 30 |
| Sioux City, IA | Apr 29 | Mar 4 to 18 | Apr 22 to May 6 |
| Brooklyn Park, MN | Apr 30 | Mar 5 to 19 | Apr 23 to May 7 |
| Woodbury, MN | Apr 24 | Feb 27 to Mar 13 | Apr 17 to May 1 |
| Plymouth, MN | Apr 29 | Mar 4 to 18 | Apr 22 to May 6 |
| Blaine, MN | Apr 30 | Mar 5 to 19 | Apr 23 to May 7 |
How to grow lettuceAll zonesLettuce in zone 4bLettuce in zone 5bAbout zone 5a
Sources
- How to Grow Lettuce in Your Garden · Utah State University Extension
- Lettuce | Home Vegetable Gardening · University of Illinois Extension
- Lactuca sativa (Lettuce) · NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Growing Lettuce in a Home Garden · University of Maryland Extension
- Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide (SP 103/VH021) · UF/IFAS Extension
- Vegetable Planting Calendar for Maricopa County (AZ1005) · University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
- Fall Vegetable Gardening Guide for Texas · Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
- When Is the Right Time to Plant Vegetable Seeds? Check Soil Temperature · University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension (Wisconsin Horticulture)