How to Grow Buttercrunch Lettuce Greens
Growing Buttercrunch Lettuce in Your Garden
Some people call it Buttercrunch lettuce. Other folks, know it as Butterhead lettuce. However you know it, this lettuce, is a crisp, and crunchy treat in the salad bowl. These popular greens form thick, outer leaves giving way to a sweet, creamy-colored, compact head. Of course, all of the leaves are edible. Use this guide on “How to Grow Buttercrunch Lettuce” to help you to grow a successful crop of thee geat salad greens.
Like other lettuces, Buttercrunch lettuce is a cool-weather crop. Buttercrunch holds up better in hot weather than most other lettuces. However, it’s still best to time your spring crop to mature before the onset of hot and humid weather. We recommend an indoor start in the spring for an early crop for your salad bowl.
Buttercrunch Lettuce Plant Specifications
Days to Harvest: 55 to 65 days.
Plant height: 6 to 12 inches tall.
Light Needs: Full sun to partial shade.
Ideal Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.0 Ideal Soil pH by vegetable.
Plant Hardiness Zones: 3 – 9
Plant Type: Annual.
Deer Resistant? No.
Botanical Name: Latuca Sativa
Nutrition Data
One cup of shredded Buttercrunch lettuce contains approximately:
- 7 calories
- 1 g carbs
- 0 cholesterol
- 0.1 g fat
- 0.6 g fiber
- 0.7 g protein
- 3 mg sodium
How to Grow Buttercrunch Lettuce
Light Requirement
Buttercrunch lettuce plants grow best when planted in a location where they receive at least five to six hours or more of direct sunlight. They benefit from a little partial shade during the hot midday period.
This is a cool-weather plant. In warm areas of the county, grow them in partial shade. While this is not optimum for plant production, it helps to avid wilting, bolting and sun scald.
Planting and Soil Needs
Buttercrunch lettuce is easy to grow. Plant them in a location where they will receive full sun to partial, light shade. The soil should be rich, fertile, and well-draining. As a cool weather crop, the plants grow best when planted as a spring or Fall crop.
Sow the seeds of these fast-growing greens directly into the garden or started them indoors. For directly sowing seeds outdoors, spread the small seeds as thinly as possible. For indoor starts, sow a few seeds in each cell of a seed tray. Cover very lightly with a fine starter soil. Keep soil moist during the germination period. Fast sprouting seedlings should emerge in about 5-10 days.
Tip: When beginning transplants, stagger the start of your seedlings to spread out the crop. For example, if you are going to grow 24 plants, sow six in the seed tray today, sow six more 3-4 days later, etc.
Transplant seedlings into the garden after all danger of frost has passed. Ideally, transplant them on a cool or cloudy day. Water well after transplanting. Space plants 8″-10″ apart, in rows 18″ apart.
Transplanting Tip: When transplanting any type of lettuce in hot weather, place some form of sunshade over the plant for a couple of days. Any makeshift shade will do.
Fertilizer Needs
Fuel the growth of these greens with plenty of fertilizer. Apply a nitrogen rich fertilizer every two to three weeks. The plants also respond well to liquid fertilizer, too.
Water Needs
Another trick to successfully growing lettuce is to keep it growing fast, with lots of water. Keep the soil moist, but not wet, during the entire growing cycle.
Other Steps
Weeds compete with Buttercrunch lettuce for nutrients and soil moisture. As a result, you can maximize growth and plant health bey keeping the area well-weeded.
Importantly, time the crop to mature before the onset of hot dry weather. In hot, humid conditions, the plant is likely to bolt…go to seed. Also, the plants can rot in hot and humid conditions.
For your fall crop, an indoor start is best. Lettuce seeds do not germinate well in the hot soil of mid-summer.
Also See:
Plant Problems – how to identify and correct them
Soil Temperatures – germination temperature by vegetable
Ideal Soil pH – by vegetable
Insects and Pests
Bunnies like lettuce. Got bunnies!? Then, a rabbit fence is in your future.
Insects can become a real problem, too. A wide variety of insects like Buttercrunch lettuce.
Lettuce is a delicate vegetable. It can absorb insecticides. If an infestation occurs, we recommend insecticidal soaps and organic repellents. If you choose chemical sprays, read the label carefully to make sure it is safe for lettuce. Also, heed the amount of time you have to wait to harvest the crop after spraying…it’s all on the label of the spray you purchase.
Slugs are a real problem for all types of lettuces. There are a variety of control methods. More on Slugs and snails.
Plant Disease
Buttercrunch Lettuce can wilt and rot in hot, humid weather. Although Buttercrunch withstands heat better than most lettuces, it still doesn’t do well in mid-summer heat and humidity. The plant will also bolt or go to the seed stage in higher heat. Rotting can also occur in wet soils.
Harvest Time for Buttercrunch Lettuce
Days to Harvest: 55 – 65
If you just can’t wait for some fresh, home grown Buttercrunch lettuce greens, you can begin to harvest the leaves as soon as they are big enough to use on a sandwich or in a salad. As you thin the rows, use culled plants.
If this is your first time growing, it’s sometimes hard to tell when the heads are fully mature. When in doubt, harvest a head, eat, and enjoy!
Plant Hardiness
Lettuce thrives in cooler weather. But, it is also susceptible to heavy frost. It does not like mid-summer heat or dry conditions. Set your first crop outdoors after the last spring frost. Time your Fall crop to mature before the first fall frost date for your area.
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