Butterhead Lettuce

Asteraceae

Soft, tender, loosely formed heads with buttery texture. Fastest head lettuce to mature. 'Buttercrunch' is the gold-standard bolt-resistant variety. Shortest storage life of all lettuces — harvest morning of use for best quality. Transplants very well, giving a 2-3 week head start over direct sow.

At a Glance

Days to Maturity

50–65 days

Sun

4+ hours

6 hours full sun; afternoon shade beneficial in zones 7b+

Spacing

10–12 "

Container

Yes

2+ gallon pot

Height

0.5–0.8 ft

Zone Planting Guide

Your USDA Zone:

Growing Guide

Germination

Germination Time 4–10 days

Optimal Temp 58°F

Seed Depth 0.125"

Transplanting

Min Soil Temp 40°F

Harden Off 5 days

Watering

Weekly Water 1–1.5 "

Needs Moderate-consistent

Method Frequent, light watering. Shallow roots. Mulch 1-2 inches.

Soil

pH Range 6–7

Soil Type Rich, well-drained, high organic matter

Resilience

Heat: Low Cold: Medium Drought: Low

Nutrition

Feeding Intensity Light feeder

Harvest

Heads feel full but not hard. Harvest before central stem starts to elongate.

Storage 10 days — Refrigerate 35-40°F, high humidity. Shortest storage of lettuces.

Sources

seed-catalog Johnny's Seeds — Lettuce Key Growing Info university UMN Extension — Growing Lettuce horticultural Old Farmer's Almanac — Lettuce extension Growing Lettuce in a Home Garden (University of Maryland Extension) extension Growing Lettuce & Other Greens (Oregon State University Extension, PDF) extension Cool Season Greens Production (Oklahoma State University Extension, PDF)

More Vegetables

Butterhead Lettuce Planting Dates by Zone

Planting dates for Butterhead Lettuce vary by USDA hardiness zone. Select your zone below for frost dates, start-indoors timing, and a full monthly planting calendar.

Zone 5A Zone 5B Zone 6A Zone 6B Zone 7A Zone 7B Zone 8A Zone 8B Zone 9A Zone 9B

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