Best time to plant lettuce is by checking the packet that came with it. It say when to plant the seed.........We had to fence in our garden with fencing that had very small opening to keep the varmits away.............they also do not like dried bloode, it stinks badly and use gloves & a mask to put it around the edges of your garden. I just saw in Walmart......plug in's to keep deer, rabbits, skunks..........and a host of other wildlife away from your garden needs electric power for plug in...........4 in a pack and I don't know the $ amount.