Butterhead Lettuce
Salanova Red Butter Lettuce is an exclusive cultivar that delivers dense, beautiful rosette heads packed with thin, supple leaves in just 55 days from transplants. This open-pollinated variety thrives in cool weather, growing best between 60, 65°F, and brings both visual appeal and tender texture to your garden. Its compact bush form makes it ideal for succession planting every few weeks to ensure a continuous harvest of fresh, delicate leaves throughout the season.
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What sets Salanova Red Butter Lettuce apart is its distinctive dense rosette structure with remarkably thin, supple leaves that deliver exceptional tenderness. The variety matures quickly, just 55 days from transplants, making it perfect for gardeners who want fast results without sacrificing quality. Its exclusive status and careful breeding mean you're growing something truly special, not just another butter lettuce. The compact bush habit fits neatly into both small and large gardens, while the delicate leaf texture makes every salad feel restaurant-quality.
Salanova Red Butter Lettuce is grown primarily for fresh salad use, where its tender, thin leaves shine raw in bowls and on plates. The supple texture and attractive appearance make it equally suited to delicate salad mixes or as a standalone head lettuce, where the complete rosette can be harvested and served whole or gently separated into individual leaves.
Start seeds indoors 4–6 weeks before your last spring frost or 8–10 weeks before your first fall frost. Sow seeds on moist seed-starting mix at a depth of approximately 1/8 inch, as lettuce needs light to germinate. Keep the soil temperature below 70°F (21°C) for best germination, ideally around 65°F (18°C). Seedlings typically emerge within 7–10 days. Harden off transplants by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7–10 days before planting out.
Transplant seedlings outdoors 2–3 weeks before your last spring frost or 8–10 weeks before your first fall frost, when soil can be easily worked. Space plants approximately 8–10 inches apart to allow the rosette heads to develop fully. Transplants tolerate cool soil and can go in as soon as the ground is workable. Water gently after transplanting and keep soil consistently moist during establishment.
Direct sow seeds outdoors 2–3 weeks before your last spring frost by sprinkling seed thinly over prepared soil and pressing gently into place. Barely cover with soil or use a light mulch to maintain consistent moisture until germination. Keep the seedbed moist but not waterlogged.
Harvest Salanova Red Butter Lettuce when the rosette heads feel full and firm, typically 55 days after transplanting. You can harvest the entire head by cutting it at the soil line just above the roots, or gently separate individual outer leaves as needed while the head continues growing. For the most tender texture and crisp leaves, harvest in the cool morning hours, ideally before temperatures rise above 70°F (21°C). Harvest before the plants begin to bolt or show signs of flower formation.
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