Way-a-Head is a butterhead lettuce that delivers crisp, mild leaves in a compact, space-efficient package. Developed for gardeners working with limited room, this variety produces medium-sized heads standing 5 to 10 inches tall and ready to harvest in 60 to 69 days. The soft yet crispy leaves emerge medium green, surrounding a tender, pale green heart. Frost-tolerant and cold-hardy from zones 2 through 10, it's an annual that thrives in full sun and performs equally well whether you start seeds indoors or direct sow them.
Full Sun
—
2-10
10in H x ?in W
—
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
Way-a-Head's real strength lies in how efficiently it produces in tight spaces. The compact heads with their distinctive light green hearts yield high crops without sprawling across your garden bed. Those medium green leaves are smooth and tender yet retain a satisfying crispness, creating a textural contrast that elevates simple salads. The variety can be harvested by cutting heads just an inch above the soil, encouraging regrowth for successive harvests through the season.
Way-a-Head is grown as a fresh salad green, where its mild flavor and crisp texture shine in mixed green salads and composed plates. The tender leaves work well in wraps and as a base for grain bowls. The smooth, delicate leaf structure makes it particularly suited to gentle preparations where the lettuce itself is meant to be a supporting player rather than a bold statement.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Sow seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your last spring frost, keeping soil temperature between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Transplant seedlings outdoors once they develop true leaves and soil has warmed to at least 50 degrees.
Harden off seedlings over 7 to 10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions. Transplant into garden beds or containers once frost danger has passed and soil is workable. Space plants 6 to 8 inches apart to allow heads room to develop fully.
Direct sow seeds outdoors in spring once soil is workable, or in late summer for fall harvest. Scatter seeds thinly and cover lightly with soil, keeping the seedbed consistently moist until germination occurs in 7 to 10 days.
Way-a-Head reaches maturity in 60 to 69 days and is ready to harvest when heads feel firm and the leaves are full yet still tender. Cut the entire head just 1 inch above the soil line. This low-cut technique encourages the plant to regrow new leaves and heads for a second or even third harvest in the same season, extending your yield from a single planting.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.