Spring planting doesn’t start when the air feels warm, It...Read More
Crisphead Iceberg Lettuce is a must have lettuce variety for salad loving home gardeners everywhere. This lettuce has a light crunch and a mildly sweet flavor that compliments tacos, sandwiches, or salad mixes. Make your own greens mix with Salad Bowl Red Leaf Lettuce and Slow-Bolt Arugula; you will never want store bought again! The glossy green foliage of the Crisphead Iceberg Lettuce grows in a tight self-blanching head and will mature within 75 days. This lettuce prefers cooler weather or partial shade in hotter climates.
NAME: Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)
VARIETY: Crisphead Iceberg
DAYS TO MATURITY: 65 – 75 days
POLLINATION: Open Pollinated
TYPE: Annual
HARDINESS ZONE: Zones 4 – 9
SUNLIGHT: Full Sun / Partial Shade
SOIL: Fertile soil with a pH between 6.5 – 7.0
PLANT HEIGHT: 8 – 12 inches
SPACING: 6 – 9 inches apart
TEMP: 50 – 85°F
These seeds do not required stratification.
To learn more about Stratification, click here!
Start seeds indoors 2 weeks before your last local frost date, in cell trays with 2 to 3 seeds per cell. Use a loose & fluffy seed starting soil mix. Water in seeds generously and germination will occur in 6 to 11 days.
Once the first set of true leaves show, thin out all but one of the seedlings per cell.
You can also start them in large pots if you plan to grow them entirely in pots.
When the seedlings are two inches tall, harden off seedlings for several days before transplanting outside. Do this by taking them outside during the day and bringing them in at night (Outside temps should be above 50°F when you start this process).
When transplanting, plant the seedling into the soil up to the base of the stem, spacing the plants 5 to 8 inches apart.
If direct seeding lettuce outdoors, plant each seed 1/4 inch deep and 2 inches apart in rows that are spaced 12 inches apart.
Once they get to be a few inches tall and show their true leaves thin them out so they are spaced 5 to 8 inches apart.
It is ideal to plant lettuce in the spring and fall in a spot that is in full sun.
If you want to grow lettuce during the hottest weeks of summer, partial shaded areas or additional shade cloth can, to an extent, help prevent bolting caused by hot weather.
Lettuce grows best in loose, fertile soil with good drainage and a pH between 6.5-7.0; adding compost to the soil prior to planting will help provide essential nutrients and improve drainage.
If you plant lettuce in successive plantings, with 10 to 14 days in between, you will have an extended harvest.
To prevent summer bolting, stop planting one month before the hottest summer temps start.
Plant fall-harvested lettuce towards the end of summer so it reaches maturity by late fall, when the air is cool, but not yet below 40°F.
Harvest Crisphead Iceberg Lettuce heads when they reach full size, typically 70-90 days after planting.
Cut the heads at the base with a sharp knife, taking care not to damage neighboring plants.
Rinse the lettuce heads thoroughly under cold water to remove any dirt or debris.
Store harvested lettuce heads in the refrigerator crisper drawer or in a plastic bag to maintain freshness.
