Lettuce - Butterhead

Type: Vegetable

Rotation Group: 0, No rotation needed


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TOM THUMB

A much-loved lettuce producing delicious little butter-heads on fast growing plants. Grow under cloches for an extra early crop. It is also an excellent summer lettuce as it tolerates high temperatures and resists bolting better than larger varieties.
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ALL THE YEAR ROUND

A traditional favourite butterhead variety! Medium-sized butterhead (soft hearted) variety, which has great flavour and a lovely crisp texture. Plants are slow to bolt and with a long harvesting period.
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CLARION

An outstanding, soft-leaved lettuce, producing tasty heads of medium size. Very good for both early and late sowings, it is virus-tolerant and resistant to 10 strains of mildew.
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MARVEL OF FOUR SEASONS

Long season variety that is a real stunner to add colour to a salad, with its deep red outer leaves and light green heart. It boasts excellent flavour and is well worth a try.

Site, Soil and Preparation

Grow lettuces in full sun in moisture-retentive soil. Early and late sowings may need protection against cold, using cloches, plastic tunnels or horticultural fleece. Prepare the ground for your Lettuce seed sowing, removing weeds, fork in organic matter or well-rotted manure. Consolidating and raking a nice fine seedbed.

Indoor Sowing

Alternatively, start lettuce off in trays of individual cells or a cell propagator. Always use a decent peat-free compost.

Outdoor Sowing

Sow seeds thinly, 13mm (1/2in) deep, in rows 30cm (1ft) apart. Sow a short row every fortnight to ensure continuity of cropping.

Thinning

Thin seedlings as soon as the first true leaves appear and continue until the plants are 30cm (1ft) apart. The seedlings you thin out can be added to salads.

Transplanting

Indoor sown lettuce seed can be transplanted once large enough to handle.

Care

Watering regularly particularly in dry conditions, a regular liquid feed will be beneficial and always check for the dreaded slugs and snails.

Harvest

You can harvest lettuces from late spring through to winter, if sown regularly using suitable seasonal varieties. Whole lettuces are ready to harvest when a firm heart has formed - cut through the stem at the base.