VegetableLettuce
Batavian, Great Lakes 118 Lettuce
Great Lakes 118 is a classic crisphead lettuce that delivers reliable harvests across a remarkable range of climates, thriving from zones 2 to 10. In 70 to 79 days, you'll have substantial heads with crisp green outer leaves wrapped around a tender white heart. This non-GMO variety handles heat and sun with impressive resilience, making it a workhorse for gardeners who want consistent results whether they're in cool northern gardens or warmer southern zones. The leaves carry a mildly sweet flavor that makes them equally at home in a simple salad or as a cooling contrast in a hearty sandwich.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
2-10
Sunlight
Full Sun
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With Consistent Moisture
Growth Stats
10 in
Height
TypeSpreading
Spacing
18
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
—
Zones
2-10
Size
10in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
Moderate
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Highlights
Great Lakes 118 grows into robust heads with that distinctive contrast between emerald outer leaves and a pale, crunchy heart that makes crisphead lettuce so satisfying to harvest. Its heat tolerance sets it apart from many other heading varieties, allowing you to push the growing season further into warm months without the bitterness that plagues less resilient cultivars. The 70 to 79-day timeline is swift enough for successive plantings, and its proven performance across zones 2 through 10 makes it genuinely reliable whether you garden in Minnesota or Mississippi.
Common Uses
Great Lakes 118 is a lettuce built for the table. The crisp, substantial heads are perfect for tearing into salads where you want real texture and body, or for layering into sandwiches where those dense outer leaves won't wilt under heavier fillings. Home gardeners grow this variety specifically because you can harvest a whole head at once, rather than picking individual leaves, making it feel like you've earned something substantial from the garden.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant seedlings outdoors once they've developed true leaves and the soil can be worked. Space transplants 18 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart.
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds into prepared soil in full sun or partial shade. Keep the seedbed consistently moist until germination.
Harvesting
Great Lakes 118 is ready to cut in 70 to 79 days from planting. Harvest when heads feel firm to gentle pressure and the outer leaves are a vibrant green. Cut heads at the base with a sharp knife in the early morning when they're crisp and full of moisture. You can harvest the whole head at once or remove outer leaves from younger plants if you prefer a gradual approach.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Lactuca sativa
Family
Asteraceae
Genus
Lactuca
Growth Habit
Spreading
Native Status
L48 (I)PR (I)VI (I)CAN (W)