Lettuce planting calendar for USDA Zone 9a

Gainesville FL, Houston, New Orleans, southern GA coast. Average last spring frost February 25, first fall frost December 1 — a 279-day frost-free season.

Zone fit: good

Cool-season crops bolt fast under Zone 9a heat. Prioritize the fall planting window and use shade cloth for any spring succession.

Key dates

Start seeds indoors

January 21 – February 4

Direct-seed or transplant outdoors

January 21 – February 11

Expected first harvest

March 14 – April 11

Fall planting window

September 29 – October 20

Fall harvest window

November 20 – December 18

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 9a

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 9a

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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