Speckled Butterhead Lettuce (Heirloom 55 Days)

 Heirloom. You could tuck this late 1700’s Amish heirloom butterhead into your flower bed and it would be just as happy as it would have been in your vegetable garden. The burgundy speckles on its bright green leaves are some of the prettiest we’ve seen. The medium-sized, dense heads of buttery leaves are wrapped around a central heart of delightful sweetness. You can’t help but love the Speckled Butterhead Lettuce no matter which garden you have it in.

300 seeds 

PLANTING

Lactuca sativa

Germination: 4-10 days

Germination Temperature: Optimum soil temperatures 60-70ºF. Soil temperatures above 75 ºF inhibit germination.

Seed Sowing Depth: ¼ inch deep

Starting Indoors:  Start 3-4 weeks before planting outside. Sow 2-3 seeds per cell/pot, thinning to one per cell/pot. Provide 60-70ºF soil temperatures. Transplant out, 8-12” apart in rows 12” apart.

Sowing Outdoors: Spring when the soil temperature reaches at least 50ºF. Sow 1” apart, thin to 6-12”, depending on the size of lettuce you want, baby to full heads. Keep soil moist during germination. Sow every 2-3 weeks for a longer harvest period. Sow heavy seeded rows every 10-14 days for baby greens using the 1/2 oz. Pinetree Lettuce Mix.

How much does a packet plant: 25-40 foot single row  

Harvest: Cut whole heads, full-sized or baby at the base or snipe off individual leaves.  

Tips: Speckled Butterhead Lettuce needs fertile soil for optimum growth. Work in compost or well-rotted manure into your soil before planting. Provide adequate, even moisture for the best growth. Mulching helps retain moisture.