When to plant lettuce in USDA Zone 8b

Plan your lettuce planting around local frost risk and soil temperature, then work backward from the harvest week your buyers need. The calendar below is a starting point, not a field-level weather forecast.

Charleston SC, Savannah, Mobile, Austin, Jacksonville. Average last spring frost March 15, first fall frost November 15 — a 245-day frost-free season.

Zone fit: excellent

Lettuce is well suited to Zone 8b. Standard planting dates work with minor adjustments for microclimates.

Key dates

Start seeds indoors

February 8 – February 22

Direct-seed or transplant outdoors

February 8 – March 1

Expected first harvest

April 1 – April 29

Fall planting window

September 13 – October 4

Fall harvest window

November 4 – December 2

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 8b

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 8b

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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