When to plant lettuce in zone 7a
In zone 7a, where the last spring frost typically comes around April 16, start lettuce indoors February 19 to March 5 and plant out April 9 to 23. For a fall crop, plant July 26 to August 30.
The zone 7a schedule for lettuce
- Start seeds indoors
- February 19 to March 5
- Plant out
- April 9 to 23
- Sow outdoors
- March 26 to April 2
- First harvest, roughly
- May 9 to July 2
- Plant for a fall crop
- July 26 to August 30
From the median frost dates of the NOAA stations assigned to the 3,981 ZIP codes in zone 7a, 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 7a
Zones are based on winter cold, not on frost dates, so the last spring frost varies a lot within a zone. Across zone 7a, the typical last frost ranges from about April 5 in the earliest tenth of ZIP codes to April 29 in the latest tenth, and the first fall frost from October 15 to November 2. For a typical place in the zone:
- April 1Risky: a later frost happens in 9 years out of 10
- April 16Typical: frost after this date in half of years
- May 3Safe: 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 7a cities
| City | Typical last frost | Start indoors | Plant out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY | Mar 31 | Feb 3 to 17 | Mar 24 to Apr 7 |
| Wichita, KS | Apr 11 | Feb 14 to 28 | Apr 4 to 18 |
| Lexington-Fayette urban county, KY | Apr 13 | Feb 16 to Mar 2 | Apr 6 to 20 |
| St. Louis, MO | Apr 8 | Feb 11 to 25 | Apr 1 to 15 |
| Amarillo, TX | Apr 13 | Feb 16 to Mar 2 | Apr 6 to 20 |
| Providence, RI | Apr 11 | Feb 14 to 28 | Apr 4 to 18 |
| Paterson, NJ | Apr 3 | Feb 6 to 20 | Mar 27 to Apr 10 |
| Bridgeport, CT | Apr 5 | Feb 8 to 22 | Mar 29 to Apr 12 |
| Meridian, ID | Apr 24 | Feb 27 to Mar 13 | Apr 17 to May 1 |
| Stamford, CT | Apr 12 | Feb 15 to Mar 1 | Apr 5 to 19 |
| New Haven, CT | Apr 5 | Feb 8 to 22 | Mar 29 to Apr 12 |
| Allentown, PA | Apr 20 | Feb 23 to Mar 9 | Apr 13 to 27 |
How to grow lettuceAll zonesLettuce in zone 6bLettuce in zone 7bAbout zone 7a
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)