Lettuce planting calendar for USDA Zone 7a

Asheville, Winston-Salem, Roanoke, Nashville, Little Rock. Average last spring frost April 15, first fall frost October 15 — a 183-day frost-free season.

Zone fit: excellent

Lettuce is well suited to Zone 7a. Standard planting dates work with minor adjustments for microclimates.

Key dates

Start seeds indoors

March 11 – March 25

Direct-seed or transplant outdoors

March 11 – April 1

Expected first harvest

May 2 – May 30

Fall planting window

August 13 – September 3

Fall harvest window

October 4 – November 1

Windows are calculated from your zone's average frost dates. Adjust ±1 week for microclimates, elevation, and your own frost records.

Spacing and soil

Plant spacing: 8″
Row spacing: 12″
Seed depth: 0.125″
Soil temperature: 45–70°F
Frost tolerance: half-hardy
Days to harvest: 45 days

Grower notes for Zone 7a

Successive plantings every 10–14 days for continuous harvest. Bolts fast above 75°F — use heat-tolerant varieties past May.

Plant near: carrots, radish, strawberries

Other leafy greens for Zone 7a

Same crop, other zones

Track your own plantings

BAU Farm Intelligence turns these windows into per-field tasks — indoor seed-start reminders, transplant dates, harvest projections — using your farm's actual frost history.

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