Loose Leaf Lettuce
Cherokee Lettuce is a stunning open-pollinated red lettuce with deeply pigmented leaves that deliver both visual drama and reliable harvests. Bred for a long harvest window, this cool-season crop matures in just 48 days from transplants and thrives in zones 7 through 9. The darkest red foliage makes it as much a garden showpiece as a kitchen staple, while its moderate water and maintenance needs keep it manageable for gardeners of all levels. It germinates best between 60 and 75°F, making it ideal for spring and fall planting schedules.
Full Sun
Moderate
7-9
240in H x 72in W
Annual, Biennial
High
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The deepest red coloring among lettuce varieties sets Cherokee apart visually, but what truly impresses is its extended harvest window. This compact grower produces mini-heads or full-size heads depending on how you space and manage it, giving you flexibility in how you use the garden bed. Its frost tolerance means you can push the season further into fall than many other lettuces, and at 48 days to maturity from transplants, you'll be harvesting faster than you'd expect.
Cherokee Lettuce is grown as a fresh salad green, where its striking deep red color makes it a visual centerpiece in mixed greens or composed salads. The compact growth habit also allows it to be harvested as either individual leaves for salad mixes or left to form mini-heads or full heads depending on spacing and thinning. Its natural elegance suits both everyday kitchen gardens and beds designed for ornamental vegetable production.
Start Cherokee Lettuce seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your transplant date, keeping germination temperatures between 60 and 75°F. Sow seeds thinly on moist seed-starting mix, press gently into the surface (lettuce needs light to germinate), and maintain consistent moisture. Seedlings emerge in 7 to 10 days. Harden off transplants over 7 to 10 days before moving them outdoors, reducing watering and exposing them to increasing wind and direct sun. Average 16,000 plants per ounce of seed.
Transplant hardened-off seedlings outdoors when they've developed their first true leaves, timing this for your earliest spring workable soil or 6 to 8 weeks before the first fall frost. Space transplants 24 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart for full-size head production, or closer (12 to 15 inches) for mini-heads. Soil should be cool and moist; plant in early morning or late afternoon to reduce transplant shock.
Direct sow Cherokee Lettuce seeds outdoors in early spring or late summer, pressing them lightly into moist soil. Keep the seed bed consistently moist until seedlings emerge (7 to 10 days). Thin seedlings to 24 inches apart for full-size heads or 12 to 15 inches for mini-heads.
Harvest Cherokee Lettuce at 48 days from transplanting when heads feel firm and leaves are fully colored with that characteristic deep red. For continuous harvests, pick outer leaves individually once the plant reaches harvestable size, allowing the center to continue growing. Alternatively, cut the entire head just above soil level with a sharp knife. Morning harvests, when plants are fully hydrated, yield the crispest leaves. Store harvested heads immediately in cold conditions (35 to 40°F) with high humidity to maintain quality; head lettuce keeps 14 to 20 days under proper storage.
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