Butter Lettuce
Salanova Green Butter Lettuce is an exclusive cultivar that produces dense, compact rosette heads with thin, supple leaves that feel almost delicate in your hands. This open-pollinated variety reaches harvest in just 55 days from transplants, making it ideal for gardeners who want quick results without sacrificing quality. The attractive green foliage and tender leaf texture make it a standout choice for fresh salads, and its cool-season preference means you can grow it during spring and fall when lettuce tastes its sweetest.
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1-13
?in H x ?in W
Annual, Biennial
Moderate
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What sets Salanova apart is its remarkably dense rosette structure and the unusual delicacy of its leaves, thin and supple rather than thick and waxy like some butter lettuces. It's an exclusive variety from Johnny's Selected Seeds, bred specifically for home and market gardeners who value both appearance and eating quality. At 55 days from transplants, it delivers a full head quickly, and its preference for cool temperatures means spring and fall plantings will reward you with exceptional tenderness and flavor.
Salanova Green Butter Lettuce shines in fresh green salads where its tender, supple leaves provide an almost silky mouthfeel. The delicate foliage makes it perfect for salad mixes and composed dishes where visual appeal matters, and the thin leaves wilt less aggressively than heartier lettuce varieties when dressed with vinaigrette.
Start seeds indoors 4–6 weeks before your last spring frost. Lettuce germinates best below 70°F (21°C), so keep seedlings in a cool location. Use pelleted seed (which Johnny's offers as NOP-compliant) for easier handling, though remember this seed has a shorter shelf life and should be used within one year. Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged during germination, which typically occurs within 7–10 days.
Transplant seedlings into the garden as soon as soil can be worked in spring, as lettuce is frost-hardy and thrives in cool conditions. Space plants according to mature head size—approximately 12 inches apart for full heads. Harden off seedlings gradually over 5–7 days by exposing them to increasing amounts of outdoor air and light before planting. Transplants will reach harvest size in about 55 days.
Direct sow seed as soon as soil is workable in spring, planting seed shallowly about 1/4 inch deep. For continuous harvests, sow every 2–3 weeks through early summer, then resume sowings in late summer for fall crops when temperatures cool.
Harvest Salanova Green Butter Lettuce when heads are full and compact, typically 55 days after transplanting. Pick the entire head by cutting it at the base just above soil level, or harvest outer leaves individually if you prefer to extend production from a single plant. The dense rosette structure means heads are ready when they feel firm and full to the touch, with leaves still tender and supple rather than tough.
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