Little Gem is a cross between butterhead and romaine, giving it the unique trait of having romaine’s crunch with the sweetness and small size of a butterhead. It grows 8" high producing a sweet and compact heart that is the perfect size for individual salads and sandwiches. Lettuce is a cool-weather crop and is best grown in spring and fall. Little Gem stands up well to summer heat and is slow to bolt.
Lettuce seeds can be planted directly into the garden soil.
Sow the seeds directly into the garden soil beginning in early spring starting 2 weeks prior to the last frost-free date.
Plant the tiny seeds 1/4" deep and later thin to 10" apart. Seeds can be planted every 3 weeks for a staggered harvest or once again in late summer for a fall harvest. Fall planting can occur 10 weeks before your average first frost date.
Build up a raised row of soil about 8" wide. Scatter the seeds in a line on top and then cover with 1/4” to 1/2" of soil. Keep the soil evenly moist. Lettuce seeds will germinate in 5-10 days depending on the soil temperature. Germination is slower in the cold weather of spring.
Lettuce has shallow roots so gently mulch around it to deter weeds and retain soil moisture.
The ways to harvest lettuce include harvesting it as a baby green by picking individual young leaves, harvesting the outer leaves as needed and letting the plants grow, or by harvesting the entire head by slicing it off about an inch above the soil.
Each packet contains 500 Organic Little Gem Lettuce seeds. Lactuca sativa. Annual. Open-pollinated, heirloom, Non-GMO. Harvest in 50 days. $3.00
This packet plants a 60' row with 72 plants.
Lettuce leaves are delicious.
Little Gem has a thinner stalk and thicker leaves which seem juicier and more substantial than any part of Romaine. This lettuce never develops a bitter flavor and is delicious fresh, grilled, or sauteed.
Features.
This popular salad green is one of the easiest crops to grow. It grows quickly for baby greens in 4 weeks and for full heads ready in 50 days.
Benefits.
Lettuce is high in minerals, such as calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, and potassium. and naturally low in sodium. It is packed with vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate.