Is There a Perfect Lettuce? We Find Out
Lettuce grows quickly from seed in versatile spaces, from raised beds to pots and in the ground. Cool, mild conditions and successional rounds generate a continual harvest of leafy greens. In a quest to find the best selections for the salad bowl, Epic Gardening’s leaders, Kevin and Jacques, trial the best lettuces to grow this spring.
Contents
On a mission to find the best aesthetics, crunch, and flavor for tossing in the salad bowl, Jacques and Kevin trialed 18 kinds of lettuce. After warding off skunks and raccoons who chose their own favorites, the top performers prevailed.
The lettuces trialed include a mix of varieties and styles, from head lettuces like butterhead and crisphead to romaines and leaf types. From supple and tender to thick and fleshy, leaf shape, form, and texture vary across the blend. We can’t overlook color, either, with striking leaves that create an anything-but-boring salad.
Varieties Trialed
The salad sampler includes a number of romaine and leaf types, followed by popular varieties in the iceberg and butter categories. After seeding, transplanting, and harvesting, each was taste-tested and ranked based on aesthetics, the crunch factor, and flavor.
The varieties Kevin and Jacques tested include:
| SalanovaⓇ (popular salad varieties) | ‘Red Oakleaf’ ‘Green Butter’ |
| Romaine | ‘Trouchas’ ‘Chalupa’ Spinach Lettuce ‘Little Gem’ ‘Rouge d’Hiver’ ‘Dino’ |
| Butterhead | ‘Buttercrunch’ ‘Marvel of Four Seasons’ ‘Australe’ |
| Crisphead (Iceberg) | ‘Great Lakes’ ‘Ice Queen’ |
| Leaf | ‘Ezrilla’ ‘Teagan’ ‘Red Sails’ ‘Salad Bowl Blend’ ‘Brentwood’ ‘New Red Fire’ |
| Unique Type | ‘Xingtai’ stem lettuce |
Sowing Lettuce Seeds
For a uniform start for all seeds in the trial, Kevin and Jacques started the seeds in a greenhouse. At home, start seeds indoors four to six weeks before your final frost date, and in the summer when temperatures rise above 80°F (27°C), which is too hot for outdoor germination. Moisten the seed-starting mix in a cell pack or tray. Place two seeds per cell and lightly cover with additional mix to ⅛ inch deep.
Direct sowing lettuce seeds gives the easiest start, when seedlings can grow in place in cool conditions. Prep the site for a clean, weed-free bed so sprouts don’t compete with weedy growth for nutrients, moisture, and root space. Sow them two to four weeks before the last frost and when the soil is 40°F (4°C) or above. Ideal soils for germination are 60-70°F (16-21°C). Place two to three seeds four to six inches apart.
Successional rounds of sowing bring a continual supply of greens all season, at least in areas with mild summers. Sow them every three to four weeks until up to a month before fall’s first anticipated frost. In warm climates, grow lettuce in fall and winter as a cool-season crop.
Lettuce germinates quickly. In seven to 10 days, you’ll have bunches of seedlings for transplanting or that pop up in the bed.
Transplanting
With its small size and quick growth, lettuce is versatile across garden scales. It grows as filler in a container with companion blooms, herbs, and other vegetables. It also performs well in raised beds and in the ground. Space seedlings four to six inches apart for their leafy crowns to develop.
For the lettuce trial, Kevin and Jacques used a four-by-eight raised bed with drip irrigation installed. Lettuce prefers organically rich, loose soil compositions. Sandy loams with good drainage are ideal; soils that are too dense hinder growth. Topdress with compost to improve nutrition, moisture retention, and aeration. Water the new transplants thoroughly and aim to keep the soil evenly moist as they develop, whether using irrigation or hand-watering.
Within several days of transplanting, thin the seedlings of heading varieties to give them plenty of space for developing full, leafy heads. Thin seedlings by selecting those to keep and clipping the extras at the base of the stem. Clipping, rather than pulling, won’t disrupt the new roots of the remaining seedling. Most leafy lettuce seedlings don’t need thinning and grow together in a single hole.
After transplanting or within two or so weeks of transplanting, you’ll have young leaves ready to harvest.
Harvesting
Tender leaves quickly turn bitter in warming temperatures. As they age, they become thicker and more acrid. Harvest mid-size leaves regularly instead of waiting for a whole head to form to avoid bitterness. Leave outer leaves in place, as well as young central leaves, for continual picking. Pick a few from multiple plants each time to leave a ready supply.
For the crispest lettuce, harvest in the morning, and enjoy the leaves the day they’re picked. Store them in the refrigerator after picking.
Top Performers
The standouts among the group hold a strong showing in looks, taste, and texture. Below are some of the best lettuces with easy growth for a tasty and lovely salad bowl. Additional top choices include ‘Chalupa,’ ‘Dino,’ and ‘Brentwood.’
‘Little Gem’
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botanical name Lactuca sativa ‘Little Gem’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 6” |
‘Little Gem’ takes top billing for its show of dense, small leaves; great crunch, and meltaway texture. A sugary, buttery flavor represents the best of a butterhead coupled with the crispness of a romaine. ‘Little Gem’ is a mini romaine and an English heirloom. Individual heads at six inches tall and four inches wide become the perfect harvest for a single serving.
Leaves are smooth and glossy with gentle folds. They’re held around the heart tightly for an upright crown. ‘Little Gem’ is ready for picking in as early as 20 days, with 68 days to full-size.
‘New Red Fire’
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botanical name Lactuca sativa ‘New Red Fire’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 8-10” |
‘New Red Fire’ is a winner for many reasons, including big, crisp, textural leaves, a sweet taste, and colorful greens tipped in deep red. The top-performing lettuce is also disease-resistant against downy mildew, bottom rot, and tipburn.
‘New Red Fire’ boasts good heat tolerance, giving it an extended harvest in summer. The bold, ruffled leaves are striking in the edible landscape, planter, and on the plate. ‘New Red Fire’ is easy to grow for a splash of interest, excellent flavor, and a good solid crunch.
‘Ice Queen’
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botanical name Lactuca sativa ‘Ice Queen’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 6-10” |
‘Ice Queen’ represents the crisphead, or iceberg, group. A surprise, this top lettuce variety yields full, fresh green heads with a solid crunch factor. The layered flavor profile is sweet and buttery with only a hint of bitterness in between.
‘Ice Queen’ is a 1893 French heirloom (‘Reine des Glaces’) that tolerates cold weather but also withstands heat. Slow to bolt, the loosely arranged, frilly leaves bring extended picking. Enjoy outer greens of this “summercrisp” in as little as 21 days, with full heads maturing in 62.
‘Marvel of Four Seasons’
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botanical name Lactuca sativa ‘Marvel of the Four Seasons’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 6-8” |
‘Marvel of Four Seasons’ is an easy-care, durable lettuce with a match in flavorful, crisp leaves. It grows across seasons, tolerating heat and cold while producing colorful leaves. They start light green and transition to deep red-purple at their edges.
‘Marvel of Four Seasons’ is another French heirloom and is popular for its rich, red leaves held in a loose rosette. Their green bases provide a pleasing contrast to the deep reds. Large leaves are textural with crinkles and folds and a delicate buttery taste.
‘Ezrilla’
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botanical name Lactuca sativa ‘Ezrilla’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 5” |
‘Ezrilla’ is among the best leaf lettuces for its frilled green leaves and high flavor. Creamy and building to slightly spicy, the dynamic taste meets the visual interest of the greens.
‘Ezrilla’ produces prolific, uniform leaves on compact heads. Slow to bolt and disease-resistant, it’s a top contender to grow this season. Harvest singular leaves in 21 days, with full form in 50 days.
‘Buttercrunch’
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botanical name Lactuca sativa ‘Buttercrunch’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 3-5” |
‘Buttercrunch’ is a classic favorite from 1965. It quickly develops large leaves, and while more tender than crunchy, its buttery, mild flavor makes it a staple. The All-America Selections Winner forms compact buttercrisp heads that are bolt-resistant.
The bibb lettuce out of Cornell charms with fresh green, gently crumpled leaves. Grow the short selection in pots for pretty filler and easy picking.
‘Red Sails’
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botanical name Lactuca sativa ‘Red Sails’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 10-12” |
‘Red Sails’ glides into summer with strong heat tolerance without turning bitter. Broad, crinkly leaves in rich green and burgundy bring a crispy texture and good flavor. The All-America Selections Winner is a favorite baby green variety with young leaves ready in just a few weeks.
Harvest the baby leaves at any time, leaving at least half the plant to continue developing. The vigorous heads are full size in about 45 days.
