Lettuce planting calendar for USDA Zone 9b

Orlando, Tampa, San Antonio, southern LA coast. Average last spring frost February 5, first fall frost December 15 — a 313-day frost-free season.

Zone fit: good

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

Key dates

Start seeds indoors

January 1 – January 15

Direct-seed or transplant outdoors

January 1 – January 22

Expected first harvest

February 22 – March 22

Fall planting window

October 13 – November 3

Fall harvest window

December 4 – January 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 9b

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 9b

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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