Growing lettuce in zone 12
Sow a short row every 2 weeks instead of one big planting — lettuce bolts quickly once heat arrives. Afternoon shade extends the spring season, and fall crops are often the sweetest.
Zone 12 covers hawaiʻi lowlands, Puerto Rico — tropical — timing follows wet and dry seasons rather than frost.
Make it local
These windows use zone 12's typical frost dates. For windows computed from your frost dates, run the ZIP code frost lookup and open the planting calendar — it remembers your city. The seed starting scheduler turns the whole seed rack into one printable, date-sorted list.
Frequently asked questions
When should I plant lettuce in zone 12?
Zone 12 is frost-free, so timing flips from frost-avoidance to heat management: plant lettuce through the coolest months, typically October to March. Summer heat, not winter cold, is what ends this crop here.
Does lettuce grow well in zone 12?
Yes, in the right months. Lettuce is a cool-season crop, so grow it through zone 12's mildest stretch and expect it to bolt or fade as serious heat builds.