Butterhead
Milagro is a compact green butterhead lettuce that matures in just 54 days from transplants, delivering tender, mild-flavored heads in a remarkably short window. This open-pollinated variety combines old-fashioned charm with modern disease resistance, shrugging off downy mildew, lettuce mosaic virus, and TBSV that plague less hardy types. Bred for cool-season growing but surprisingly frost-tolerant, it thrives in the 60, 65°F sweet spot where lettuce flavor deepens and bitterness stays at bay.
Full Sun
Moderate
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Annual
Moderate
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At 54 days to harvest from transplants, Milagro gets you from seedling to salad faster than many competitors, making it the variety to choose when you want reliable, quick results. Its compact growth habit means you can tuck it into tight spaces, spacing plants just 16 inches apart in rows, and the strong disease resistance package (downy mildew, lettuce mosaic virus, and TBSV) means you're not constantly fighting fungal pressure or viral collapse. The open-pollinated genetics let you save seed if you want to, giving you independence and connection to the plant itself.
Milagro is a salad green through and through. Its butterhead structure means the outer leaves are tender enough to harvest individually as loose leaves, or you can wait for the full head to mature and cut it whole, giving you multiple options depending on how much lettuce you need at any given moment. The mild flavor and soft texture make it a natural for fresh green salads, and the quick maturity window means you can succession-plant every 2, 3 weeks for a continuous supply throughout the cool season.
Start seed indoors 4, 6 weeks before your anticipated transplant date. Sow into moist seed-starting mix and keep the flat at 60, 70°F (16, 21°C) until germination, which typically occurs within 7, 10 days. Maintain cool conditions throughout the seedling stage; seedlings grow best at 60, 65°F (16, 18°C). Johnny's reports approximately 16,000 plants per ounce of seed, so you can estimate your seeding rate accordingly. Pelleted seed (organically certified from Johnny's) should be used within one year of purchase; store in a cool, dark, dry place or in an airtight container in the refrigerator to protect from humidity fluctuations.
Harden off transplants for 7, 10 days before moving them to the garden. Plant outdoors as soon as your soil is workable in spring; Milagro is frost-tolerant and thrives in cool conditions. Space transplants 1 inch apart and 16 inches between rows. The maturity date of 54 days starts from the transplant date, so plan accordingly for your desired harvest window.
Direct sowing is possible, though source maturity data (54 days) is calculated from transplants. If direct sowing, use row cover to improve germination and prevent soil crusting. Thin seedlings to 1 inch apart once 2, 3 true leaves have formed; for butterhead varieties, thin to 12, 16 inches between plants. Sow every 2, 3 weeks for continuous supply.
Milagro can be harvested two ways depending on your needs. For continuous supply, harvest individual outer leaves from the outside of the plant, allowing the inner leaves to continue growing; check daily for leaves that are ready to harvest. Alternatively, wait for the full compact head to mature at 54 days and cut the plant about 1 inch above the soil, which may allow for additional harvests as new growth emerges. All plants eventually become bitter as they bolt, especially in warmer weather, so monitor plants closely and harvest before they transition to bolting.
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