Massachusetts · zones 5a–7a
When to plant lettuce in Massachusetts.
Sow between Mar 15 to Apr 29 in a typical year, keyed to Massachusetts's median last frost around Apr 22. A second, fall sowing fits Aug 6 to Oct 5. Dates below are state medians; your ZIP code shifts them by days to weeks.
The 2026 windows
Lettuce dates for a typical Massachusetts season.
Direct sow
Mar 15 to Apr 29
Keyed to the ~Apr 22 last frost. Sow 0.25" deep, 6" apart.
Fall round
Aug 6 to Oct 5
Counted back from the ~Oct 20 first frost.
Harvest
~45 days later
~0.4 lb per plant over ~1 weeks.
Massachusetts spans more than one climate: Zone 6 is the most common zone, but the state runs 5a to 7a. That's why the planner works from your ZIP code's frost dates, not your zone: mountain and coastal gardens in the same state can be three weeks apart.
Massachusetts growing notes
Coastal fog works like free air conditioning for Massachusetts lettuce.
Why South Shore and Cape gardens outlast Pioneer Valley ones in July
A bitter, elongated flower stalk is what lettuce sends up once a run of hot days pushes it past its limit, and the ocean along Massachusetts' coast keeps the South Shore, Cape, and Islands running noticeably cooler through summer than the inland Pioneer Valley, which builds up its own heat with nothing nearby to pull it back down. A coastal garden can often keep a spring planting productive weeks longer than an inland one growing the identical variety on the same schedule.
Inland growers get more mileage tucking a summer sowing into the partial shade thrown by taller crops like pole beans, since direct sun is what accelerates the bolt clock inland, and switching to a heat-tolerant leaf type just for that stretch rather than running spring seed all season. Seed dropped into ground still short of 40 degrees at a 2-inch depth simply stalls rather than rotting outright, so a soil thermometer settles the sowing date better than a fixed calendar page does this early in the year.
Fourteen rounds is a real number here, not a sales pitch
Massachusetts' roughly six-month frost-free window supports far more lettuce rounds than a single-season crop like broccoli or corn ever gets, and a grower sowing a short row every couple of weeks from spring through fall can keep a steady supply coming instead of one big harvest that all comes in and bolts together.
Spring and fall rounds are the reliable ones; the mid-summer sowings are where bolting risk climbs fastest, so shifting to a bolt-resistant variety just for those weeks, rather than running the same seed all season, is the adjustment that keeps a long succession from breaking down right when a CSA share needs it most.
Slugs follow the same dampness that helps the crop
The coastal moisture that keeps lettuce cool also keeps slugs active after dark, and mulch piled right up against the base of the plants hands them daytime cover within easy striking distance of the leaves. Holding mulch back an inch from the stems removes that hiding spot without giving up the moisture benefit further out in the bed.
A grapefruit rind set cut-side down in the row overnight, then lifted and checked at first light, draws in and traps a surprising share of a bed's slug population within a few nights of steady use, a cheap habit that beats reaching for bait pellets on a small home planting.
In Massachusetts: watch for
The pests that find lettuce here.
A middle-length season, about 181 frost-free days, means lettuce, leaf overlaps aphids for a stretch each summer. Check plants every week or two and treat early.
Clusters tucked into the heart of the head.
Organic fix: Rinse well; insecticidal soap on young plants.
Ragged holes and slime trails, worse after rain.
Organic fix: Iron-phosphate bait; a diatomaceous-earth ring; hand-pick at night.
Seedlings clipped off at the soil line overnight.
Organic fix: Collars around the stems; Bt or diatomaceous earth.
Pale yellow patches boxed in by the leaf veins, with white fuzz underneath.
Organic fix: Give plants room, let them dry between waterings, clear old leaves, and pick resistant varieties.
Your season math: Massachusetts gives lettuce about 181 frost-free days, and it needs roughly 45 days to a first harvest. That fits about 14 re-sown rounds across the season, so you can keep it coming instead of picking once.
Planting lettuce in Massachusetts: questions
When should I plant lettuce in Massachusetts?+
In a typical Massachusetts year, sow lettuce between Mar 15 to Apr 29, keyed to the state's median last frost around Apr 22. There's also a fall window: Aug 6 to Oct 5. Your exact dates shift with your ZIP code and microclimate.
What USDA zone is Massachusetts?+
Massachusetts spans zones 5a–7a, mostly zone 6. But frost dates, not zones, set planting time. The free planner uses your ZIP code's actual frost dates.
How many lettuce plants do I need?+
Depends who you're feeding. The crop page has exact counts per household size, or the free planner does the math for your family in about 60 seconds.