Planting calendar

When to plant lettuce in Oklahoma

Oklahoma spans USDA hardiness zones 6a-8a. Average last spring frost: 04-05. This calendar gives you the indoor start, transplant, and direct-sow dates for Lactuca sativa.

Oklahoma planting dates for lettuce

PhaseDate in OklahomaNotes
Start seeds indoorsFebruary 226 weeks before last frost
Transplant outdoorsMarch 222 weeks before last frost
Direct sow outsideMarch 222 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 Oklahoma's average last spring frost date of 04-05, 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 Oklahoma planting information

Sources