When to Plant Lettuce
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GardenSays
Direct-sow lettuce plants outside Apr 7 – Apr 28 — they shrug off frost.
- Spring sowing
- Apr 7 – Apr 28
- Fall crop
- Aug 10 – Sep 7
- Last frost (typ.)
- May 5
In Minneapolis, MN, the typical last frost lands around May 5, and lettuce plants are cold-hardy — so unlike tomatoes, you don't wait for frost to pass. Sow 7-28 days before the last frost: Apr 7 – Apr 28, as soon as soil is workable and around 40°F.
Do this this week
- 1.Spring sowing has passed — the fall window is next: Aug 10 – Sep 7
- 2.Nothing to sow until Aug 10
Calculated result · 3 verified sources · Checked 2026-07-16 · How we decide
Why
Cool-season crops get a second season: sow again Aug 10 – Sep 7 for a fall harvest — many gardeners find the fall crop sweeter and less bothered by pests.
- Lettuce plants germinate in cold soil (~40°F) and tolerate frost that would kill warm-season crops — waiting until after the last frost wastes their best growing weather.
- The 50% frost date is a planning midpoint — for hardy crops an early start risks little.
When this doesn't apply
- Cold, waterlogged soil rots seed — 'workable' means it crumbles in your hand, not mud.
How this was calculated
- 1. Last spring frostMay 5Source guidance
Minneapolis, MN: typical (50% probability) last 32°F frost
- 2. Direct-sow windowApr 7 – Apr 28Calculated result
Lettuce is cold-hardy: sow outside 7-28 days before the last frost, once soil reaches ~40°F
- 3. Fall crop windowAug 10 – Sep 7Calculated result
Cool-season bonus round: sow again 28-56 days before the typical first fall frost (Oct 5)
Data sources
- University of Minnesota Extension — Growing lettuce, endive and radicchio in home gardens — Lettuce is a cool-season crop: direct seed as soon as the soil can be worked in spring, and again in late summer for a fall crop. (checked 2026-07-16)
- NOAA NCEI — 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals (freeze date probabilities) (checked 2026-07-15)
- National Gardening Association — frost date lookup (checked 2026-07-15)
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