How to Grow Lettuce in Florida
Updated June 2026
Lettuce is a fall-through-winter crop in Florida. Plant it in the cool months, choose heat-tolerant types, and you can cut salads for months.
Lettuce is fast, easy and one of the most rewarding cool-season crops in Florida, as long as you grow it in the cool season. Sown from fall into late winter, it crops happily through the mild Florida winter. Sown in spring or summer, it bolts to seed and turns bitter in the heat.
The single biggest thing to understand about lettuce is bolting. When temperatures and day length climb, generally past about 80F, the plant switches from making leaves to making a flower stalk. The leaves turn bitter and tough. Everything in this guide comes back to keeping lettuce cool: the right season, the right varieties, afternoon shade and steady moisture.
The good news is that lettuce is quick. Loose-leaf types are ready to pick in around a month and a half, and you can take outer leaves even sooner. Sow a little and often and you can keep cutting fresh salads right through the Florida winter.
Lettuce succession and bolt-risk selector
Choose your season and climate for the best types, your bolt risk and how often to sow.
What it looks like as it grows
Position and Soil
Give lettuce full sun in the cool months, but provide afternoon shade if you are pushing into warmer weather, as shade keeps the plants cooler and slows bolting. Lettuce has shallow roots, so it needs a rich, compost-amended soil that holds moisture without staying waterlogged. A pH around 6.0 to 7.0 is ideal. In Florida's sandy ground, plenty of organic matter is the key to keeping leaves tender and the plant growing fast.
Sowing
Sow seed shallowly, about a quarter inch deep, as lettuce seed needs light to germinate well. You can direct-sow or start in trays and transplant. Sow a little every 2 to 3 weeks for a steady supply rather than one big planting that all matures at once. In summer heat, sow in the cool of the evening and keep the seedbed moist, because lettuce seed will not germinate well in hot soil.
Spacing
- Loose-leaf: 6 to 8 inches apart, or sow thickly and harvest as cut-and-come-again.
- Romaine and butterhead: about 8 to 10 inches apart.
- Crisphead: 10 to 12 inches apart to let heads fill out.
Watering and Feeding
Lettuce dislikes drying out, so keep the soil steadily moist. Shallow roots mean it cannot chase water deep down, and a check from drought can trigger bitterness and bolting. Water in the morning at the roots. A light, steady nitrogen feed keeps leaves tender and growing quickly, which is exactly what you want from a leaf crop. Mulch helps hold moisture and keeps the soil cool.
Common Problems
Aphids, armyworms and slugs are the usual visitors, and downy mildew and bottom rot show up in damp, crowded beds. Space plants for airflow, water in the morning at the roots, and check the undersides of leaves. The biggest problem of all is bolting: keep lettuce cool and well watered, and choose slow-bolt varieties to push the risk back.
Harvest
Leaf lettuce is ready in about 45 to 55 days, but you do not have to wait. Pick outer leaves as cut-and-come-again from around 30 days and the plant keeps giving. Harvest heading types when the heads feel firm. Cut in the cool of the morning when leaves are crisp, and refrigerate quickly to keep them fresh.
Varieties for Florida
Loose-leaf and romaine types handle Florida's warmth far better than tight head lettuces.
| Variety | Type | Days to Harvest | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 'Buttercrunch' | Butterhead | 50 to 60 | Reliable and more heat-tolerant than most butterheads. |
| 'Parris Island' | Romaine / Cos | 60 to 70 | Dependable upright romaine, good in the cool season. |
| 'Black Seeded Simpson' | Loose-leaf | 45 to 50 | Fast, tender, ideal for cut-and-come-again. |
| 'Great Lakes' | Crisphead | 70 to 85 | Heat-tolerant crisphead, the best bet for a firm head in the warmth. |
| Region | Sow / transplant |
|---|---|
| North Florida | September to March |
| Central Florida | September to February (with a March tail) |
| South Florida | October to February |
Sow a little every 2 to 3 weeks for a steady supply. See your region's window on the lettuce page.
Get lettuce timing tuned to your garden
The Planting Season app builds a month-by-month calendar for your exact Florida region and reminds you when to sow each batch.
Open the app →Frequently Asked Questions
When should I plant lettuce in Florida?
Lettuce is a cool-season crop in Florida, grown from fall into late winter. In North Florida sow September to March, in Central Florida September to February with a March tail, and in South Florida October to February. Sown in the spring or summer heat it bolts to seed and turns bitter.
Why did my lettuce turn bitter and tall?
It bolted, meaning it ran to seed. Bolting is triggered by heat and long days, generally above about 80F. Stick to the cool fall-to-winter window in Florida and choose heat-tolerant, slow-bolt varieties to delay it.
What lettuce varieties grow best in Florida?
Loose-leaf and romaine types handle Florida's warmth better than tight head lettuces. Good choices are 'Buttercrunch' butterhead, 'Black Seeded Simpson' loose-leaf, 'Parris Island' romaine, and the heat-tolerant 'Great Lakes' crisphead. Avoid butterhead and tight iceberg types in warm spells.
How do I grow lettuce in summer?
In hot weather choose loose-leaf and heat-tolerant crisphead or romaine types, give afternoon shade, sow in the cool of evening, and keep the soil moist. In the Deep South it is usually best to skip mid-summer altogether and wait for fall.
How often should I sow lettuce?
Sow a little every 2 to 3 weeks for a steady supply rather than one big planting that all matures at once. Small frequent sowings give you fresh salads over a long season.
How long does lettuce take to grow?
Leaf lettuce is ready in about 45 to 55 days, but you can start picking outer leaves cut-and-come-again from around 30 days. Heading types take a little longer to fill out.
Does lettuce need full sun?
Lettuce likes full sun in the cool months. As the weather warms, afternoon shade keeps it cooler, slows bolting and stops the leaves turning bitter.
See also: Lettuce in the plant library →
Related guides
Source: UF/IFAS Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide (SP 103), Lettuce; UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions.