Five Star Greenhouse Lettuce Mix is an exclusive open-pollinated lettuce blend bred specifically for fall and winter production under protected cover, with improved resistance to Downy Mildew. This cool-season crop reaches harvest in just 35 days and thrives across hardiness zones 2-11, making it adaptable to nearly any North American garden. The mix combines multiple lettuce varieties in a single planting, delivering visual variety and diverse textures in one harvest. Plant it in spring or fall, space plants 6 inches apart, and you'll have tender greens ready in little over a month.
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2-11
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Moderate
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Updated specifically for covered growing environments, this lettuce mix brings together improved disease resistance with lightning-fast days to harvest. The blend's real strength lies in its versatility: it germinates reliably between 60-70°F, thrives in the cool conditions most lettuce lovers prefer, and performs exceptionally well when grown under row covers or in a cold frame during shoulder seasons. Cold storage can extend your harvest window by up to two weeks, turning a single planting into an extended supply of fresh salad greens.
This lettuce mix is grown primarily for fresh salad production, harvested as individual leaves or entire young heads depending on your preference. The multiple varieties in the blend offer different leaf shapes and textures, making it particularly suited to gourmet salad mixes and restaurant-quality presentations. Because it's bred for greenhouse and covered growing, it's ideal for year-round production in cooler climates where traditional spring lettuce planting windows are limited.
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Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before your target transplant date. Keep soil temperature between 60-70°F for reliable germination, ensuring it stays below 70°F for best results. Provide bright light once seedlings emerge and avoid overwatering, as excess moisture promotes disease in lettuce seedlings.
Transplant lettuce seedlings outdoors once they have 2-3 true leaves and soil temperatures have warmed to at least 50°F, though 55-60°F is preferable for this variety. Space plants 6 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart. Harden off seedlings gradually over 7-10 days by exposing them to outdoor conditions for increasing periods before final transplanting.
Direct sow seeds in place 1/4 inch deep, spacing seeds 6 inches apart and rows 12 inches apart. Sow in early spring as soon as soil is workable, or in late summer for fall harvest. Keep soil consistently moist until germination occurs, typically within 7-10 days at optimal temperatures.
Begin harvesting individual outer leaves once plants reach 4-6 inches tall, typically around 25-30 days after transplanting, or wait the full 35 days for complete head harvest. For the most tender greens, harvest in early morning when leaves are crisp and full of moisture. If growing as a cut-and-come-again crop, remove the outer leaves first and allow the center to continue growing. For maximum shelf life, cut entire heads just above soil level, then store immediately in cold conditions. Heads grown slowly in cooler temperatures will keep longest in storage.
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“Five Star Greenhouse Lettuce Mix is an exclusive offering from Johnny's Selected Seeds, developed as an updated cultivar with a specific purpose: improving performance for growers who rely on protected cultivation during fall and winter months. The blend represents modern seed breeding focused on real-world growing challenges, particularly Downy Mildew susceptibility that has long plagued lettuce growers in cool, humid greenhouse conditions. By combining multiple lettuce varieties into a single mix, it offers both genetic diversity and the practical advantage of varied textures and flavors from one seed packet.”