Buttercrunch Bibb Lettuce is a smooth, crisp-textured head lettuce that matures in just 65 days and grows to a compact 10 inches tall and wide, making it a practical choice for gardeners in zones 3 through 11. The loose, rounded heads of tender leaves deliver a salad experience that far surpasses supermarket offerings, with a delicate texture that feels both silky and satisfyingly crisp. Sow from early spring through fall in full sun to partial shade, spacing plants 8 inches apart, and you'll have harvestable heads ready in about two months.
Partial Sun
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3-11
10in H x 10in W
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Moderate
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The leaves wrap loosely together in a beautiful round head, creating a structure that invites whole-head harvesting right into a salad bowl. That tantalizing texture, simultaneously smooth and crisp, makes every bite feel like a true delicacy. Buttercrunch rewards simple preparation; toss the whole head with roasted nuts, shredded vegetables, and dressing, and you've created something that reveals why gardeners fall in love with growing their own lettuce.
Buttercrunch shines as a fresh salad green, particularly when harvested as a whole head for dramatic table presentation. The loose leaf structure and tender texture make it an excellent choice for composed salads where individual leaves can be separated and layered with other ingredients. Its mild flavor works beautifully with vinaigrettes, creamy dressings, or as a base for warm salads with roasted vegetables and nuts.
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Start seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before your last frost date for an early spring harvest. Sow seeds in seed trays or cells, barely covering them with soil, and keep the medium consistently moist at 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Once seedlings develop their first true leaves, thin or pot them on so each plant has space to develop a strong root system before transplanting outdoors.
Transplant seedlings outdoors about 4 weeks before your last frost date, or when they have developed 3 to 4 true leaves. Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days. Space plants 8 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart in soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Buttercrunch is frost-tolerant, so cool spring temperatures will not harm transplants.
Direct sow seeds about 4 weeks before your last frost date, or as soon as soil can be worked in spring. Sow seeds thinly along rows, barely pressing them into moist soil. Direct seeding works well for succession planting throughout the growing season, allowing you to harvest lettuce continuously from spring through fall.
Buttercrunch is ready to harvest 65 days after sowing. Harvest by cutting the entire head at the base with a clean knife, or gently pull the whole plant from the soil. For the signature salad-bowl presentation described by seed growers, remove the core and set the intact head in a bowl, then add your favorite accompaniments. Leaves can also be harvested individually from the outside of the head if you prefer a continuous harvest approach. Pick heads in the early morning when leaves are crisp and full of moisture, and use them immediately or refrigerate to maintain that signature smooth, crisp texture.
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