Butterhead
Brentwood Lettuce is a crisp, fast-growing loose-leaf variety that delivers harvests in just 50 to 55 days from direct seeding. This Asteraceae family member thrives in cool-season gardens where full sun and moderate water create ideal conditions for tender, flavorful leaves. With its compact spacing needs and straightforward care, Brentwood offers home gardeners a reliable way to enjoy fresh salad greens throughout the growing season.
Full Sun
Moderate
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?in H x ?in W
Annual, Biennial
Moderate
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What sets Brentwood apart is its remarkable speed and productivity in tight garden spaces. The variety demands minimal room, just one inch between plants in rows spaced 16 inches apart, making it perfect for intensive planting and succession cropping. You can harvest individual outer leaves continuously as inner leaves develop, or cut the entire plant for a single, abundant yield. Its moderate water and full-sun requirements make it forgiving for beginning gardeners while rewarding those who plant it every two to three weeks for an extended harvest.
Brentwood Lettuce is a salad green through and through. Harvest the tender outer leaves fresh for crisp, garden-to-table salads, or cut the whole plant for bulk greens. Its quick maturity and continuous leaf production make it ideal for gardeners who want consistent fresh greens without waiting weeks between plantings.
Start Brentwood Lettuce indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your anticipated transplant date if you prefer transplanting over direct seeding.
Thin or transplant loose-leaf varieties to 10 to 14 inches apart once the seedlings have formed 2 to 3 true leaves. Handle transplants gently and harden them off gradually before moving to the garden.
Direct seed Brentwood Lettuce into prepared garden soil, using row covers to improve germination and prevent soil crusting. Days to maturity are calculated from the date of direct seeding.
Brentwood Lettuce reaches maturity in 50 to 55 days. You can harvest individual outer leaves at any time once they're large enough to eat, allowing the inner leaves to continue growing, this technique extends the productive season. Alternatively, cut the entire plant about one inch above the soil line for a complete harvest, sometimes yielding a second flush of leaves from the remaining crown. Check plants daily during peak season, as lettuce eventually becomes bitter as it begins to bolt. The moment you notice the plant stretching upward or the leaves losing their crisp texture, harvest immediately.
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