Growing Non-GMO All Year Round Butterhead Lettuce Vegetable Seeds
How to Grow All Year Round Butterhead Lettuce from Seed
All Year Round butterhead is a cool hardy favorite performing just as vigorously when sown direct as when transplanted. For earliest starts, begin lettuce seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before final frost. Plant 2-3 seeds 1/4" deep and 2" apart in Organically rich, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Lettuce seeds germinate in 7-10 days, thinning back to 1 plant every 4 in the garden. Harvest large outer leaves while allowing smaller leaves to continue to mature.
Make sure to allow enough space between seeds for the lettuce to grow, as overcrowding can cause the lettuce to have a bitter taste. Firm the soil lightly. While growing, keep the soil well watered. Harvest between 65 and 75 days after planting, and before flowers appear, to ensure the lettuce doesn't become too mature.
All Year Round Butterhead Lettuce in the Vegetable Garden
Lettuce is one of the most versatile seeds in the world as it is a choice variety for sprouting, microgreens, hydroponics, aquaponics, and indoor container gardening. Quick to maturity and easy to grow anywhere, countless varieties of lettuce have been specifically cultivated to thrive from cold northern gardens all the way down to the desolate winter Arizona climate.
Heads are medium sized and a medium green color. Sow seeds in spring or late summer. Seeds can be sown indoors and transplanted after 3-4 weeks if necessary.
Harvesting All Year Round Butterhead Lettuce
Most varieties of lettuce can be harvested 45-60 days after sowing or once the younger outer leaves have reached 4-5" long as a "cut and come again" crop. Harvest leaves when young and tender for best flavor since leaves bitter with maturity. Heads may be harvested whole, roots and all, or just be cut at the base while leaving behind an inch to the rooted stem.
Garden fresh lettuce stores well cold in a plastic bag for 7-10 days. Do not store near apples or bananas.
About All Year Round Butterhead Lettuce Seeds
Lactuca sativa (65-75 days)
This pre-1870 British heirloom is a traditional butterhead lettuce. Also known as 'All the Year Round', the medium-sized heads loosely formed heads and soft, buttery-textured green leaves and compact, solid crisp hearts produced a hardy reliable plant, that is slow to bolt even in hot weather.
As the name implies, this variety can be sown in most locations from about March through August to harvest April to October for a nearly "year-round" harvest. Does well in both hot and cooler locations. Fall sowings should be grown under cloches or in a cold greenhouse for overwintering but can be harvested in spring for early salads.
