Description

Seed Savers Exchange

Lettuce, Grandma Hadley’s(Organic)

Lactuca sativa

• Organic
• Heavy dark purple tinge on leaf edges
• Buttery and crisp leaves are slightly sweet
• Butterhead
• 40-55 days to maturity
• Packet of 250 Seeds

Donated to SSE in 1988 by Pam Andrew of Arizona. It was given to her by her 85-year-old great-aunt, Flossie Cramer, of Crawford County, IL. Flossie’s grandmother, Emma Hadley, grew the lettuce when Flossie was a child (around 1915). It was a family favorite used in a wilted lettuce salad with hot bacon dressing. The dark purple tinged leaves are buttery, crisp and slightly sweet. Butterhead, 40-50 days.

Learn To Grow It

This crop can be direct seeded into the soil after the last spring frost. You can also start plants indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost date.

These seeds can be broadcast evenly in sections of the garden to create a bed of tender leaves and thinned to 6 inches apart as they mature. Plant your seeds 1/8-1/2 in. deep. 

You can harvest the outer leaves of this plant as they mature or wait till it produces a full-sized head. To prevent the plant from bolting, keep the leaves well watered and cool.

This crop prefers to grow in cool seasons, so gardeners in Zones 8 and warmer should plant this vegetable in the fall. The shade from taller plants can help keep this vegetable cool in sunny gardens and warm climates.