When to plant lettuce in Tampa
Lettuce is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Tampa's frost dates.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Jan 7 – Jan 28
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Feb 21 – Mar 8
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 Tampa?
Direct-sow around early January (Jan 7–Jan 28) in Tampa, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 75%.
When will lettuce be ready to harvest in Tampa?
Expect to harvest from around late February (Feb 21–Mar 8) in Tampa, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 69%.
How long is the growing season in Tampa?
Tampa 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 Tampa's frost dates.
Confidence 77/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.