When to Plant Lettuce in BC — 2026 Guide

🌊 Coastal BC — Near Year-Round

• Victoria: sow late January, harvest March through June
• Vancouver: sow mid-February, harvest March through June
• Fall: sow August–October, harvest through December
• Overwinter: cold frame sowing October–November
• Gap: only 6–8 weeks (late May to early August)
• Winter varieties (Winter Density, Arctic King) extend further

Annual harvest: 8–10 months

☀️ Interior & Northern BC — Two Seasons

• Kelowna: spring (March–April) + fall (August)
• Prince George: spring (April) + fall (early August only)
• Same summer bolting pattern as Ontario
• No overwinter production — ground freezes too hard
• Row cover extends fall harvest 2–3 weeks
• Similar to Toronto and Ottawa timing

Annual harvest: 4–6 months

🌿 Spring — All BC Regions

❄️ Overwinter — Coastal BC Only

☀️ Fall — Interior BC

A cold frame transforms coastal BC lettuce production

A simple cold frame — even just an old window on a low wooden box — extends both ends of the BC coastal lettuce season dramatically. In spring, it lets Victoria and Vancouver start lettuce in January and February, weeks before outdoor sowing is possible. In fall and winter, it protects October and November sowings through December and January. Use cold-hardy winter varieties (Winter Density, Arctic King) for overwinter production. The cold frame is the single best tool for coastal BC lettuce growers — more impactful than any variety choice.

Harvest cut-and-come-again — triple the life of each plant

Cut outer lettuce leaves to 2–3 cm above the base, leaving the inner growing point intact. The plant regrows from the centre and produces 2–3 more harvests over 3–4 weeks. This is especially valuable in coastal BC where the spring season before bolting is long — each plant can produce from March through late May with this approach. Once a central flower stalk appears, harvest everything immediately as leaves become bitter within days.

Succession sow every 2 weeks through the BC spring

Each lettuce sowing produces a 2–3 week harvest window before bolting. Sowing every 2 weeks from your first sowing date through mid-May gives continuous harvest. In coastal BC's long spring (February through May), this means up to 6–7 sowings. Sow small quantities — a 30 cm row every 2 weeks provides continuous fresh lettuce for two people. In Prince George and Kelowna, the shorter spring allows 3–4 sowings from April through mid-May.

Bolting in coastal BC — day length triggers it, not heat

A common misconception: Vancouver's cool, cloudy summers should prevent bolting. They don't. The bolting trigger is day length — around May 20, days exceed 14 hours across all of BC and lettuce begins flowering regardless of temperature. Accept late May to early June as the natural end of the spring crop. Bridge the gap with heat-tolerant alternatives — Swiss chard, arugula, and New Zealand spinach all produce through BC's summer when lettuce cannot.

Interior BC: row cover for fall extension

In Kelowna and Kamloops, a lightweight row cover over August-sown lettuce extends the fall harvest by 2–3 weeks past the first frost. Lettuce tolerates light frost to about -2°C unprotected and to -6°C under cover. Kelowna's sharp fall frosts can arrive by late September — row cover keeps the crop going into October. In Prince George, row cover is essential for any fall lettuce sowing to reach full harvest — the frost window in August and September is tight.

When should I plant lettuce in BC?

Victoria: late January to February (spring), August through October (fall/winter). Vancouver: mid-February to March (spring), August to September (fall). Kelowna: late March to April (spring), August (fall). Prince George: early April (spring), early August (fall only). Use the frost calculator for your city's exact frost dates to time your fall sowing.

Why does my Vancouver lettuce bolt in May?

Day length is the bolting trigger — not heat. Around May 20, days exceed 14 hours in Vancouver and lettuce begins flowering regardless of temperature. Vancouver's cool summers don't prevent this. Use bolt-resistant varieties (Nevada, Jericho) for late spring sowings, harvest cut-and-come-again to extend each plant's life, and accept late May to early June as the natural end of the spring crop.

Can I grow lettuce through winter in Victoria?

Yes — with a cold frame. Sow Winter Density, Arctic King, or Rouge d'Hiver in September or October. Cover with a cold frame by November. These varieties handle -5°C under cover and produce slowly through January and February, accelerating as days lengthen in March. Without a cold frame, lettuce often survives Victoria's mild winters but produces less. A cold frame turns winter lettuce from possible to reliable.

How does BC lettuce growing compare to Ontario?

Coastal BC (Vancouver, Victoria) harvests lettuce for 8–10 months per year versus Ontario's 4–5 months. The spring start is 4–6 weeks earlier in Vancouver than Toronto, and the overwinter production with cold frames is unique to coastal BC. Interior BC (Kelowna, Prince George) follows similar timing to Ontario. The summer bolting problem is identical across all regions — triggered by the same day-length mechanism around May 20.