Little Gem Butterhead Lettuce

 

source: MIGardener

Little Gem Butterhead lettuce is an English heirloom variety that is actually a very small romaine, but has the sweetness of a Butterhead lettuce. It grows in small, tight heads 8 tall and 4 wide. 

In order to plant seeds directly outdoors, make sure temperatures are consistently between 45 and 65 degrees and the soil is soft enough to work (in areas that freeze in the winter). Sow the seeds ⅛” – ¼” deep and a few inches apart. Make them further apart if you are planting head lettuce. For a continuous harvest, sow more seeds every 2 weeks. 

They will form a tight head that can be harvested about an inch above the growing crown. Be sure not to cut too low or your plant will not continue growing as you want it to. Some gardeners prefer to alternate the lettuce plants they cut from to allow the remaining plants to grow larger. Harvest the whole head or individual leaves depending on your needs. Be sure to harvest your lettuce before it begins to bolt (or seed).

-Phyllis