Jim's Favorite Garden Vegetable Lettuce Seeds

Lettuce Seeds

Useful gardening information

Soil P H 6.0 to 7.0 - Sow seed in early Spring, as soon as soil can be worked. This occurs about four weeks before last expected Spring frost. Plant 1/8 inch deep in a wide row, 6 inches apart in all directions. Make sure soil contains a good supply of nitrogen for good leaf production. Lettuce may be started inside and transplanted into the garden for an earlier crop. Lettuce needs cool weather to do well. In warm weather, lettuce turns bitter and quickly goes to seed. Plant every two weeks for a continuous harvest all summer long. Make early plantings in full sun.
As soon as the weather warms up, start planting in partial shade. During the summer, a good spot to grow lettuce is against the house on the side that receives the morning sun, or in the shade of taller vegetables in the garden. Weed frequently, as lettuce has shallow roots and can't compete with deep rooted weeds.
Make sure to plant lettuce in the fall, as it is extremely productive at this time of the year. Lettuce can be grown in containers, and does well in one with a soil depth of 9 to 12 inches.

Informative articles found on the web:

How to grow Lettuce
Health Benefits of Lettuce

Crisphead/Leaf/Butterhead Lettuce

SF187 Summertime

Bred by Dr. Baggett at Oregon State, the objective of Summertime was to develop a head lettuce that would mature in summer's heat without bolting and was also resistant to tip-burn and rib discoloration.
Consistently yields the highest percentage of usable heads in trials. Flavor is good and texture is very crisp.
69 days.

JB248 Heirloom Garden Mix

This is a great all around lettuce mix! Traditional mix of different colored lettuces with multiple textures and delicious mild flavor. This is a great salad blend and makes for great BLT's. Can be easily grown in containers as well as the garden. 45-55 days.

JB129 SloBolt

Slobolt is true to its name as the slowest lettuce variety to bolt. This frilly, bright green heirloom lettuce grows in thick clusters and has a pleasant flavor that is never bitter. A great choice for summer planting and Southern gardens, this old favorite has been grown since 1946. Looseleaf and cut-and-come again.
Introduced in the mid 1940s by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, MD. Large thick clusters of light green frilled leaves are produced all summer. As its name suggests, this variety is very slow to bolt. Pleasing flavor, never bitter. Looseleaf, 45-55 days.

TWT301 Tango Leaf

Tango Lettuce is a fun curled baby leaf lettuce variety! This lettuce has a crisp clean texture and holds up well with numerous salad dressings. This attractive uniform plant forms tight erect rosettes that are 12" across and 6-8" tall. Tango is an oak leaf variety.
Deeply lobed leaves with curled margins are the signature of this variety, so widely known that it is the standard for a class after the same name. Three dimensional leaves add texture and significant loft to salad mix. Strong regrowth. 32 days.

AW81 Buttercrunch

All-America Winner. Extremely popular lettuce with luscious, buttery texture.
Soft heads are creamy yellow inside. Best in cooler regions. Compact heads with some heat resistance. Plant early in spring. Repeat every two weeks into fall. Protect from heat with shade cloth during summer. Likes fertile soil, ample water. Best when picked minutes before your meal. Space lettuce plants 8" apart.

TPF257 Parris White COS

Wonderful French Heirloom variety of lettuce grown at Monticello. Thomas Jefferson brought these seeds back with him after traveling to France and grew them faithfully for 60 years, beginning in 1794 when he began noting it in his Garden Book. Produces long, erect heads that are larger at the top than at the bottom. Crisp leaves on a slow-growing plant.

TWT023 Red Sails

Attractive, ruffled, fringed leaves of deep burgundy red over green. A favorite among gardeners who prize beauty as well as flavor, Red Sails received an AAS when it was introduced, and has never looked back! Among the very first to arise, it resists bolting, giving you an especially long season of delectable eating. The large, erect leaves are deep red at the ruffled tips, shading into a bronzy-maroon and finally becoming green toward the base. A great source of rich color for the salad bowl, they are high-quality eating, with a soft texture and buttery flavor that appeals to all ages. 45 days

JB138 Sandy

The first AAS winning lettuce since 1985, Sandy is an attractive oakleaf type lettuce with a multitude of sweet tasting frilly dark green leaves. Not just pretty and tasty, Sandy has exceptional disease resistance, especially to powdery mildew and is slow to bolt. Use Sandy as cut and come again baby leaf, or grow to full maturity for loose salad heads. Sandy is typically not bitter when heat-stressed.
The uniformly mounded loose heads are well adapted to both raised beds and containers. When planted with cool-season flowers, Sandy will add an abundance of interesting texture to patio containers. 55 days

JB252 Iceberg

Introduced in 1894, it quickly became a standard garden lettuce, prized by gardeners and farmers alike for the crisphead variety's firm, packed heads and knack for retaining freshness, flavor, and crunch. Cool-green, medium-sized heads with fringed, ruffled outer leaves have pale, silvery-white hearts. Unrivalled for crispiness. Thrives in cooler weather. 85 days

TCB094 Marvielle De Four Seasons

Medium to large heads form rosettes of bronze, gold, red and green toned leaves. Will thrive in a range of climates, thus the "Four Seasons" moniker, this vigorous plant is easy to grow and remains crisp during all stages. A true French heirloom from the 1800s, Marvel of Four Seasons has been lovingly cultivated in kitchen gardens for centuries.

TPF242 Salad Bowl

Salad Bowl is an ideal lettuce variety for the home vegetable garden. It forms large, lime-green rosettes of delicate, tender leaves. This variety has relatively good heat tolerance and does not get bitter in hot weather. The baby leaves are ready for harvest in just 28 days and reach full size in about 50 days.
An old time favorite, the Heirloom Green Salad Bowl Leaf Lettuce is slow to bolt and tolerant to heat. This "All-America Selection" winner from 1952 is delicious and does not get bitter as it matures. It is also a steady grower even in warmer climates.

IP160 Red Salad Bowl

Maroon-red, deeply cut and finely divided leaves, very attractive in tossed salad. Red Salad Bowl is a long-standing, slow-to-bolt and early maturing lettuce that grows well all season and can be harvested over period of time. Its maroon-red, deeply cut and finely divided leaves are crisp and delicious and make an eye-catching addition mixed with green lettuce. Some tolerance to late-season mildew. 50 days.

TPF210 Tom Thumb Lettuce

A miniature butterhead type lettuce producing tiny ( perfect size for one person ) heads of sweet flavored lettuce.

TWT061 Freckles

A noteworthy romaine that offers a bright green leaf color with garnet freckles. Early growth boasts the unusual color pattern and a crisp texture which makes this an excellent choice as a baby leaf. Freckles Lettuce is both heat tolerant and bolt resistant. 30-60 days.

TGL061 Mesclun Greens Mix

35-75 days. This mesclun mix grows into vibrant greens that can be harvested anywhere from baby leaf to adult stage. This seed grows well in most areas of the US and is terrific for Spring and Fall plantings. A wonderful collection of greens of differing color, texture and flavor, the mix includes: Arugula, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Endive, Kale, Mustards and Lettuces.

LET834 Pot and Patio Blend

Tailored specifically for the container gardener, this lively blend of vibrant green and deep, rich burgundy lettuces will maximize your salad green production in the tiniest of spaces. We’ve selected 2 loose leaf, 1 romaine, and 1 butterhead for their dense, compact growth habit and extra-long harvest period.

LET835 Cardinale

Give a delightful color and aweson to your fresh salads! Wine red Batavian crisp-leaf developing at maturity into a nice head. Especially suited to cutting for salad mix because of its juicy crunch, heft, shelf life and well-proportioned leaves.

LET836 Pablo

Mild crisp flavor, very juicy, very slow to bolt. Pablo is a batavian (not a crisphead). Its larger plants form loose heads of beautiful upright rosettes surrounded by wide wavy-edged flat leaves. Vibrant splashes of bronze-purple will highlight any salad. This market quality lettuce can stand up to heat and cold beautifully and the flavor is top notch. This disease resistant heirloom thrives in hot and cool regions. Exceptionally flavorful and crisp. Loose-leaf type with mint-green curly leaves that stay tender and not bitter for months! Also great for jucing! 70 days.

TWT060 Gourmet Salad Blend

Gourmet Blend features a tasty and colorful mix of five looseleafs in shades from green to red and textures from oakleaf to tightly ruffled. Fast-growing, tender, colorful and tolerant of hot weather, our popular looseleaf blend is selected for a long harvest. Grows best in cool weather and can be planted in early spring or grown as a fall crop. 30-60 days.