When to plant lettuce in San Diego
Lettuce is cold-hardy, so every date keys off San Diego's frost dates.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Jan 1 – Jan 22
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Feb 15 – Mar 2
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Window
Days to maturity
45 – 60 d
From sowing to first pick.
Common questions
When can I sow lettuce outdoors in San Diego?
Direct-sow around early January (Jan 1–Jan 22) in San Diego, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 81%.
When will lettuce be ready to harvest in San Diego?
Expect to harvest from around mid February (Feb 15–Mar 2) in San Diego, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 76%.
How long is the growing season in San Diego?
San Diego has roughly 365 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow lettuce to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow lettuce as soon as the soil is workable — it tolerates cool weather and light frost. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and San Diego's frost dates.
Confidence 84/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.