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Heads of butterhead lettuce growing close together

When to plant · 7 plants

Salad greens

Leafy crops for spring and fall, plus crunchy celery. Pick one for its dates in your town and how to grow it.

Planting order

When each one first goes in around Portland, starting indoors where that comes first. Colder towns run later.

Late winter
Lettuce, Radicchio
Early spring
Spinach, Arugula, Swiss chard, Celery, Mâche

Planting windows at a glance

Main planting window in five reference towns. Each plant's page has every town.

PlantPortlandSeattle and TacomaBend and RedmondSpokaneBoise and Meridian
LettuceMar 1 – Apr 26Mar 1 – Apr 26Apr 28 – Jun 23Apr 1 – May 27Mar 20 – May 15
SpinachMar 1 – Apr 5Mar 1 – Apr 5Apr 28 – Jun 2Apr 1 – May 6Mar 20 – Apr 24
ArugulaMar 1 – Apr 12Mar 1 – Apr 12Apr 28 – Jun 9Apr 1 – May 13Mar 20 – May 1
Swiss chardMar 15 – May 10Mar 15 – May 10May 12 – Jul 7Apr 15 – Jun 10Apr 1 – May 27
CeleryMay 15 – Jun 19May 15 – Jun 19Jun 9 – Jul 14May 20 – Jun 24May 1 – Jun 5
MâcheMar 1 – Apr 5Mar 1 – Apr 5Apr 28 – Jun 2Apr 1 – May 6Mar 20 – Apr 24
RadicchioMar 15 – Apr 19Mar 15 – Apr 19May 12 – Jun 16Apr 15 – May 20Apr 1 – May 6

Growing salad greens in the Northwest

Salad greens are cool-weather crops, and the Northwest gives them two good seasons: spring, from the time the soil can be worked until early summer heat, and late summer into fall. West of the Cascades, mild winters mean lettuce, spinach, arugula and chard often keep going well past the first frost, especially under a simple row cover.

Heat and long days are what end a planting. Spinach, arugula and lettuce bolt (send up a flower stalk and turn bitter) as days lengthen in June, so sow spring crops early and sow small amounts every two to three weeks instead of one big row. Late summer sowings face the opposite problem: soil that's too warm and dry for good germination, so keep the seedbed moist and give it a little afternoon shade.

Slugs are the main pest in damp western gardens. Iron phosphate bait is the safer choice around pets and wildlife. Chard is the easiest place to start: it shrugs off heat and light frost, and one planting can be picked from spring into winter.

Common questions

When can I plant lettuce outside in the Northwest?

On the west side, from early March in most years, as soon as the soil can be worked. East of the Cascades, usually April into May. Lettuce handles light frost, so it goes in weeks before your last frost date.

Why does my lettuce turn bitter in summer?

Long, warm days make lettuce bolt: it sends up a flower stalk and the leaves turn bitter. Sow small batches every two to three weeks in spring, pick heat-tolerant types for later sowings, and give summer plantings afternoon shade.

Can I grow salad greens through winter?

West of the Cascades, yes. Sow mâche, spinach, arugula and hardy lettuce in late summer. They grow slowly through fall and can be picked in mild spells, especially under row cover or a cold frame.

Other plant types

Plants for your conditions