Planting calendar

When to plant lettuce in Connecticut

Connecticut spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-7a. Average last spring frost: 04-25. This calendar gives you the indoor start, transplant, and direct-sow dates for Lactuca sativa.

Connecticut planting dates for lettuce

PhaseDate in ConnecticutNotes
Start seeds indoorsMarch 146 weeks before last frost
Transplant outdoorsApril 112 weeks before last frost
Direct sow outsideApril 112 weeks before last frost

Why these dates

Lettuce is a cool-season crop. Above 75F it bolts (goes to seed). Plant in early spring and again in late summer for fall harvest. Provide afternoon shade in midsummer to extend the season.

The dates above are anchored to Connecticut's average last spring frost date of 04-25, with offsets standard across university Extension publications. For zone-specific local timing, use the frost date lookup tool with your ZIP code.

More on growing lettuce

The full growing guide for lettuce - varieties, soil, fertilization, pests, harvest, storage - is here: Lettuce growing guide.

More Connecticut planting information

Sources