Butterhead Lettuce
Rex Lettuce is a compact romaine cultivar that matures in about 50 days from direct seeding, delivering crisp, tender leaves in a remarkably tight space. This variety thrives in full sun with moderate water and slightly acidic to neutral soil (pH 6.0-7.0), making it adaptable to most home garden conditions. The compact growth habit means you can squeeze multiple plants into tight quarters, with just 1 inch between plants and 16 inches between rows, yet still harvest substantial heads. It's a reliable choice for gardeners seeking efficient, quick-maturing lettuce that doesn't demand extra attention.
Full Sun
Moderate
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Annual
Moderate
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The compact growth of Rex Lettuce is its defining trait, allowing gardeners to produce full heads in tight spaces where sprawling varieties simply won't fit. At 50 days to maturity, it reaches harvest quickly enough for successive plantings every 2-3 weeks throughout the growing season. The tight spacing requirements (just 1 inch between plants) mean you can grow far more heads per square foot than standard romaine varieties, making this cultivar genuinely useful for container gardeners and those working with limited space.
Rex Lettuce, being a romaine type, works beautifully in classic Caesar salads where its crisp texture and sturdy leaves stand up to hearty dressings. The compact heads are also excellent for individual servings or small household portions, making it ideal for salads, sandwiches, and fresh preparations where you want whole leaves without excess bulk. Its quick maturity makes it particularly useful for succession planting, allowing you to have fresh lettuce available almost continuously throughout cool and mild seasons.
Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before your anticipated transplant date for earlier harvests.
Transplant seedlings outdoors once they've developed true leaves. Harden off over several days before moving to final garden positions, spacing plants 1 inch apart in rows 16 inches apart.
Direct seed into prepared soil and use row cover to improve germination and prevent soil crusting. Days to maturity are calculated from the date of direct seeding.
Harvest individual leaves from the outside of the plant, allowing inner leaves to continue growing for extended picking. You can also cut the entire plant about 1 inch above the soil line and receive additional smaller harvests from regrowth. Check daily for leaves ready to harvest, as Rex Lettuce eventually becomes increasingly bitter as it begins to bolt. Romaine varieties like Rex can be harvested either by removing individual outer leaves, cutting the plant back, or pulling the entire head; choose your method based on whether you want to extend the season with continued growth or maximize your immediate yield.
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