Saturday, June 16, 2012

"Butterhead Lettuce"

  For the first time ever I am growing "Butter-head Lettuce". The type I am growing is called "Buttercrunch". It is coming along really well and quicker then I expected. Of coarse I received mine from Botanical Interest. It has been so simple to grow, I started mine inside and transplanted them out in the garden around the first of March.
  The back of the seed pack describes it like this: 65 days. Buttercrunch is a vigorous grower with a creamy yellow interior, buttery, flavor and tender texture. Small heads are perfect for a single-serve salad. Loves moist but not soggy soil. The compact size makes it a good container variety.         "I say its green and scrumptious looking, lol!"
  Here are also the planting instruction:
When to sow outside: RECOMMENDED. 2 to 4 weeks before average last frost, and successive sowing thereafter every 3 weeks until 2 weeks before the first fall frost. USDA zone 8 or warmer: also sow in fall for winter harvest.
When to start inside: 6 weeks before average last frost and in summer when soil temperatures are too warm outside to germinate lettuce seed.
Harvesting: Harvest as soon as possible after head forms; cut off at 2" above ground level; new leaves will grow from the center. Individual leaves can also be picked before a head forms for a continual supply. The earlier the harvest, the more tender the crop.
  We have always eating it, (from the store) but believe it or not I have never grown it. I have grown leaf lettuce but that's it.This was just one of the new introductions this year. Now we can enjoy wonderful lettuce on burgers and sandwiches this year straight from the garden.
   I have found that the heads love a lot of organic matter and lots of water. If using a granular type fertilizer, look for 10-10-10 or 5-5-5 mixtures. Pay close attention to these three number codes. They indicate the amount of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium that are contained in that particular fertilizer, respectively.  Lettuce is attacked by aphids, army worms, imported cabbage worm, and loopers. The pest pressure on summer and fall crops is much greater than on spring crops.
 I hope you will find growing Butter-head lettuce as rewarding as I have! If you have any tips please share them.


"If heaven were by merit, it would never be heaven to me, for if I were in it I should say, “I am sure I am here by mistake; I am sure this is not my place; I have no claim to it.” But if it be of grace and not of works, then we may walk into heaven with boldness."  C.H. Spurgeon

3 comments:

  1. Butterhead is one of my favorite lettuces to grow- I've got some heads read for harvest right now! One of my favorite ways to use them is as the wraps in Asian lettuce wraps with sweet chili sauce - yum!

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  2. Thank you for the fantastic article. The place else could anyone get that kind of info in such a perfect means of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I am at the search for such information.

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    1. Thank you so much! Please stop back in anytime!

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