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Growing Summertime Lettuce in the Vegetable Garden

Direct sow Summertime seeds 0.25 inch deep in spring once soil temperatures reach at least 50 F, or start indoors 3 to 4 weeks before your last frost date for an earlier crop. Space plants 8 to 12 inches apart in rows 12 to 18 inches apart to give heads room to fill out. Because germination slows above 75 F, summer sowings do best with some afternoon shade or a cooler spot in the garden.

Keep the soil consistently moist and fertilize regularly, since lettuce is a fairly heavy feeder and inconsistent watering can lead to bitter flavor or premature bolting. This variety's slow-to-bolt nature gives more flexibility with summer plantings than most crisphead types, but avoiding heat stress will still produce the best-tasting heads.

Harvesting Summertime Lettuce

Harvest individual outer leaves as the plant grows, or wait and cut the whole head once it feels firm and full, generally 65 to 80 days from sowing. Use the lettuce soon after harvest for the best flavor and texture, since quality declines quickly once picked. Because this variety resists bitterness even in warm weather, it holds up well for a slightly later harvest than most heading types.

About Summertime Lettuce Garden Seeds

Summertime was bred by Dr. James Baggett at Oregon State University as a cross between Ithaca and Salinas, two lettuce varieties known for their own heat tolerance.

It was developed specifically to solve a common problem for crisphead lettuce growers: forming solid, flavorful heads even when summer heat would normally trigger bolting or bitterness in less heat-tolerant varieties.

Its resistance to tipburn and bottom rot, along with its mild flavor, has made it a reliable choice for home gardeners in regions with short, hot summers.

Tips From Our Gardeners

Give summer sowings a little afternoon shade if you can. Even heat-tolerant varieties like Summertime germinate more reliably and grow more evenly when the soil isn't baking in full sun all day.

- Jerry Sawyer, True Leaf Market Writer

Summertime Lettuce Seeds Per Package:

• 2 g Packet - Approximately 1,642 Seeds
• 1 oz - Bulk - Approximately 23,270 Seeds
• 4 oz - Bulk - Approximately 93,080 Seeds
• 1 lb - Bulk - Approximately 372,320 Seeds
• 5 lb - Wholesale - Approximately 1,861,600 Seeds

Non-GMO Summertime Lettuce seeds are available for Fast Free Shipping on qualifying orders.