Cool weather, shallow seed
Use the chart for lettuce, then narrow by type
The main chart gives a general lettuce window. UGA’s fall table lets leaf lettuce run to October 15, which should not be copied to every lettuce type.
Spring general window
January 15 – March 1
Middle Georgia chart range for lettuce.Fall general window
September 1 – October 1
Leaf lettuce has a separate UGA fall-table extension through October 15.Type and county both matter
Do not turn one lettuce date into a statewide rule
UGA’s home-garden guidance treats mountain and southern fall timing differently, while its crop guide warns against supermarket-style head lettuce in Georgia heat.
North Georgia
Spring is later; fall generally closes earlier. Mountain head-lettuce starts may begin in late July or early August.
That mountain note does not make heading lettuce the best default type.Middle Georgia
January 15–March 1 and September 1–October 1.
Leaf lettuce can use the separate fall-table extension to October 15.South Georgia
Spring may begin earlier and fall planting can run later than in the mountains.
Wait for genuinely cooler conditions instead of copying a northern fall date.A cool-season crop with two temperature limits
Check heat, hard cold and seedbed moisture
Light frost tolerance does not mean that lettuce thrives in any cold, and a calendar date does not remove Georgia heat.
- The forecast avoids extreme heat and prolonged hard cold during establishment.
- The bed drains well but can remain moist rather than waterlogged.
- The lettuce type matches the date; leaf, romaine and Bibb are safer Georgia choices than supermarket-style heads.
- Indoor-grown transplants have spent 4–5 days acclimating outdoors.
Two ways to begin
Keep direct seed near the surface or count back indoors
For direct seed, sow ⅛–¼ inch deep
Lettuce seed is tiny and needs a shallow, lightly firmed cover.
For transplants, count back 5–6 weeks
Cold-frame plants may need 10–12 weeks, so do not apply the indoor timeline to every setup.
Harden plants for 4–5 days
Acclimate them to outdoor temperatures before the final move.
Give plants 10–12 inches
Use rows about 18–24 inches apart; thin direct-seeded beds rather than leaving a dense mat.
The late-fall edge depends on type
October 1 is the general cutoff; October 15 belongs to leaf lettuce
This distinction prevents a broad query from receiving a falsely precise answer that fits only one lettuce type.
Before the outdoor window
Start plants indoors
Count back from the regional date instead of pushing seed into unsuitable outdoor conditions.General chart window
Seed or plants are supported
Choose the method based on how quickly you need an established crop.October 2–15
Leaf lettuce only
UGA’s fall table extends leaf lettuce, not every lettuce category, through this period.Hot weather returns