FALL GROWING GUIDE · REGION IV
When to plant
leaf lettuce
in Coastal South Texas.
Leaf lettuce can be a useful later planting after summer vegetables leave the bed. Its calendar should not be confused with the much earlier dates for fruiting crops.
AVERAGE FALL PLANTING DATE
November 1
Direct sow · Frost tolerant
A recurring regional reference from the 2014 Extension guide. This is not a forecast; the source does not specify a closing date for this crop.
What this means for your garden.
The southern coastal band around Corpus Christi and Laredo is Region IV in this guide. Several cool-season planting dates run into November and December.
For leaf lettuce, the regional reference is November 1. The source provides no last optimum date for this crop. A later calendar does not make new transplants immune to heat or wet soil. Check moisture before watering, especially while roots are becoming established.
Your next three steps
- Choose the right start.
For a steady salad supply, plan small separate sowings when conditions suit the variety rather than saving one oversized planting.
- Give the plant a good first week.
Sow a manageable amount and label the variety. Record what germinates well in your own garden so the next small sowing can be based on experience.
- Keep a record you can use next season.
Save your planned date, then change it to the day you actually plant. Record completion in My Garden; the reference calendar stays separate from your own history.
WHY LOCATION MATTERS
One crop. Five different calendars.
How the same crop’s average date compares with Coastal South Texas.
Texas PanhandleSeptember 161 days earlierWest TexasSeptember 1547 days earlierCentral & East TexasOctober 1022 days earlierRio Grande ValleyDecember 130 days laterSource, scope & a little context.
Table 1 supplies average fall planting dates. Table 2 supplies last optimum dates only for the crops it lists. Figure 1 defines the five historical gardening regions; these are not current USDA hardiness zones.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension · Fall Vegetable Gardening Guide (EHT-056) ↗Dates: Table 1, p. 2. Region: Figure 1, p. 3. Source checked 2026-09-27. Editorial care notes are general planning advice; your county Extension office can refine them.
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