When To Plant Lettuce In Arkansas

If you’re planning your garden in Arkansas, knowing when to plant lettuce is the key to a steady, tasty harvest. For optimal harvest timing, you need to work with the state’s unique climate, which offers two main growing windows.

Lettuce is a cool-season crop that thrives in mild temperatures. In Arkansas, our hot summers can make it bolt, or go to seed, which turns the leaves bitter. The goal is to grow your lettuce during the cool periods of spring and fall. This simple guide will walk you through the best dates, varieties, and techniques for success.

This is your core planting schedule. Arkansas spans USDA Hardiness Zones 6b through 8a, meaning planting times can vary by about two weeks from the northern to southern parts of the state.

Spring Planting Schedule

Your spring planting goal is to get seeds in the ground as early as the soil can be worked. Lettuce seeds can germinate in soil temperatures as low as 40°F.

Northern Arkansas (Zone 6b): Plant seeds outdoors from late February to mid-March. You can start transplants indoors 4-6 weeks earlier.
Central Arkansas (Zone 7): Plant seeds outdoors from mid-February to early March. This is the most common timing for the state.
Southern Arkansas (Zone 8a): You can start as early as late January through February. Be prepared to cover plants if a late hard freeze is expected.

Fall Planting Schedule

Fall is often the best time for lettuce in Arkansas. The cooling temperatures create perfect conditions for sweet, crisp leaves. You’ll plant in late summer for a fall harvest.

Northern Arkansas: Plant seeds in mid-to-late August.
Central Arkansas: Plant seeds from late August to early September.
Southern Arkansas: Plant seeds in early to mid-September.

A good rule of thumb for fall is to count back from your first average frost date. Plant lettuce 6-8 weeks before that date. You can find your local frost dates easily online.

Succession Planting for Continuous Harvest

Don’t plant all your seeds at once. To avoid a glut then a shortage, use succession planting.

At your first planting date, sow a 3-foot row of seeds.
Every 10-14 days after, plant another 1-2 foot section.
In spring, stop planting new rows about a month before daily highs consistently hit 75°F.
In fall, continue successions until about 2-3 weeks before your first frost date.

Choosing the Right Lettuce Varieties

Some types of lettuce handle Arkansas’s variable weather better than others. Here’s a breakdown.

Loose-Leaf Lettuce (Most Recommended)

These are the easiest to grow. You can pick individual leaves, and they mature quickly. They are also more bolt-resistant.

Black Seeded Simpson: A classic, fast-growing green leaf.
Oakleaf: Tender and bolt-tolerant, great for spring.
Salad Bowl: A frilly, reliable producer.

Romaine (Cos) Lettuce

Romaines take longer to mature but are heat-tolerant. They form nice upright heads.

Parris Island Cos: A standard, reliable variety.
Jericho: Renowned for its exceptional heat resistance.

Butterhead (Bibb) Lettuce

These form loose, tender heads. They are less heat-tolerant but perfect for early spring and protected fall growing.

Buttercrunch: Excellent flavor and some bolt resistance.
Tom Thumb: Small heads, good for small spaces.

Iceberg (Crisphead) Lettuce

This is the most challenging in Arkansas. It requires a long, cool season and consistent watering to form its tight head. Best attempted by experienced gardeners in the fall.

Step-by-Step Planting Guide

1. Preparing Your Soil

Lettuce needs fertile, well-draining soil. Work in 2-3 inches of compost or well-rotted manure before planting. The soil pH should be between 6.0 and 7.0. A light application of a balanced organic fertilizer at planting time helps.

2. How to Sow Seeds

Create a shallow furrow about 1/4 inch deep.
Sow seeds sparingly, about 1 inch apart.
Cover lightly with fine soil and pat down gently.
Water using a fine mist to avoid washing seeds away.
Keep the soil consistently moist until seeds sprout, which takes 7-10 days.

3. Thinning Seedlings

Once seedlings have a few leaves, thin them. Crowded plants won’t grow well and are more prone to disease.

Thin leaf lettuce to 4-6 inches apart.
Thin romaine and butterhead to 8 inches apart.
Thin iceberg to 12 inches apart.

You can eat the thinnings as microgreens!

Essential Care Tips for Arkansas Gardens

Watering

Lettuce has shallow roots and needs consistent moisture. Water deeply when the top inch of soil feels dry, usually every 2-3 days. Morning watering is best to allow leaves to dry, reducing disease risk. Drip irrigation or a soaker hose is ideal to keep leaves dry.

Mulching

A 2-inch layer of straw or shredded leaves is a game-changer. It keeps the soil cool, retains moisture, and suppresses weeds. In spring, mulch after plants are established. In fall, mulch at planting to help cool the soil.

Managing Heat & Bolting

When temperatures rise, lettuce sends up a flower stalk. This is called bolting, and it makes leaves taste bitter. To delay bolting:

Use shade cloth (30-50%) over the bed when temperatures exceed 75°F.
Choose heat-resistant varieties like Jericho romaine or Oakleaf.
Keep up with consistent watering; drought stress triggers bolting.

Fertilizing

For a continuous harvest, lettuce needs light feeding. Apply a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer (like a 5-5-5) every 3-4 weeks, following package directions. Don’t over-fertilize with nitrogen, as this can lead to weak, overly soft growth.

Harvesting for Optimal Timing

How you harvest impacts how long your plants produce.

Leaf Lettuce (Cut-and-Come-Again): Use scissors to cut leaves about 1-2 inches above the soil when they are 4-6 inches tall. The plant will regrow for multiple harvests.
Head Lettuce (Romaine, Butterhead, Iceberg): Harvest the whole head once it feels firm and full. Cut it at the base with a knife. For a semi-cut-and-come-again, you can remove outer leaves from butterhead types as they grow.

The best time to harvest is in the cool morning when leaves are crisp and full of water.

Common Problems & Solutions

Arkansas gardeners face a few specific issues.

Slugs & Snails: They love tender lettuce. Use beer traps, diatomaceous earth, or iron phosphate bait.
Aphids: Blast them off with a strong spray of water or use insecticidal soap.
Downy Mildew: A fungal disease that causes yellow patches. Ensure good air circulation, water at the soil level, and choose resistant varieties.
Tipburn: Brown edges on leaves caused by uneven watering or calcium deficiency. Maintain consistent soil moisture.

Extending the Season

With simple protection, you can grow lettuce even longer.

Cold Frames & Row Covers: Use these in late fall to protect plants from frost. A simple floating row cover can extend your harvest by several weeks.
Container Gardening: Grow lettuce in pots on a porch. You can move them into afternoon shade in spring or into sun in the cooler fall.

FAQ: Planting Lettuce in Arkansas

Can I plant lettuce in the summer in Arkansas?

It is very difficult. Summer heat causes most lettuce to bolt quickly and turn bitter. Your best bet is to use shade cloth and plant highly heat-tolerant varieties like ‘Jericho’ romaine, but results will be limited compared to spring and fall.

What is the latest I can plant lettuce in the fall?

You can plant up until about 2-3 weeks before your first expected hard frost. Using a cold frame or heavy row cover, you can push this even later, sometimes allowing for harvests into early winter.

Should I start lettuce seeds indoors or direct sow?

Both work. Direct sowing is easiest. Starting seeds indoors in late winter (for spring) or late summer (for fall) gives you a slight head start and allows for better spacing from the start, which is a nice advantage.

Why did my lettuce seeds not germinate?

The most common cause is letting the seedbed dry out after planting. Lettuce seeds need consistent surface moisture to sprout. Covering the seeded row with a board or burlap for 2-3 days can help retain moisture—just check daily and remove it as soon as you see sprouts.

Can I grow lettuce in partial shade?

Yes! In fact, in Arkansas, a location that gets morning sun and afternoon shade is perfect, especially for spring and late summer plantings. It helps keep the soil cooler and delays bolting.

Following these guidelines for when to plant lettuce in Arkansas will set you up for a productive and long-lasting harvest. Paying attention to your local dates, choosing the right types, and providing simple care like consistent water and mulch makes all the difference. With a little planning, you can enjoy homegrown salads for much of the year.