Lettuce (cool-season leafy green) is classed semi hardy in the cited extension guidance. The timing rules below are relative to your local freeze dates — enter a location to turn them into calendar dates.
The rules this site applies
Method
Frost-relative window
Rule & reconciliation
Start seeds indoors
9–7 weeks before the median last spring freeze
Sow 4–5 weeks before the set-out window opens (UNH 4–5 weeks; Missouri G6570 lists 6–8 weeks for head lettuce).
Transplant outdoors
4–2 weeks before the median last spring freeze
UNH: safe to set out 3–4 weeks before the last frost.
Direct-sow outdoors
3–1 weeks before the median last spring freeze
Purdue: semi-hardy — 2–4 weeks before the last frost; Penn State's earliest sowing Apr 10 (−21 days) is the later start and is used.
Fall planting
8–4 weeks before the median first fall freeze
Purdue Table 2: plant fall lettuce at least 4–8 weeks before the first fall frost.
Seed germination soil temperature: optimum 75°F (optimum range 40–80°F); minimum 35°F, maximum 85°F. Purdue HO-186-W Table 3. Cold soil below the minimum rots seed — a reason windows and soil readings both matter.
Variety assumption: Assumes leaf lettuce (about 45–55 days; head types run longer).
Earliest/latest sowing dates for a May 1 last-frost / Oct 1 first-frost baseline; offsets derived by date difference from May 1. Also days-to-maturity figures.
Hardiness classes: hardy = plant 4-6 wk before last spring frost; semi-hardy = 2-4 wk before; tender = after average last frost; very tender = at least 2 wk after. Table 2: fall planting at least 4-8 wk before first fall frost.