Cherokee Lettuce

Cherokee Lettuce is one of our most heat-tolerant lettuce varieties. In some moderate climates, it can be grown well into the summer months. It is slow to bolt and holds well in the field. This allows for a longer harvesting window. It also has a great shelf-life and will store well, usually a couple weeks. Cherokee Lettuce produces medium-sized heads with thick, crisp leaves that have a dark red color with no brown overtones. The heads have an upright frame that holds the head together nicely. This also helps to prevent any breakage during final growth and harvesting. Cherokee Lettuce maintains a crisp, sweet flavor into the warmer months and will not become bitter in the heat. Plant densely for best results, spacing transplants about 8-12″ apart.

Cherokee Lettuce performs best when transplanted. Transplanting allows for more consistent plant spacing and prevents seedlings from competing with weeds in the early stages of the plant. We recommend starting transplants 3-4 weeks before the desired outdoor planting date. These seeds are pelleted for easy singulation when planting in seed trays. Cherokee transplants grow great in our heavy-duty seed starting trays, where they develop a solid root ball with roots that are trained to grow downward. Lettuce transplants will need adequate fertilization once seedlings form the first set of true leaves. We recommend injecting 20-20-20 through the seedling watering system at least once a week to ensure plants are sufficiently fed. This can be done easily with our Brass Siphon Mixer and a five gallon bucket. Plants are ready to go in the ground when they can be easily pulled from the cells in the seed starting tray.

Cherokee Lettuce Planting Information

Planting Method: transplant

When to Plant: early spring and fall

Planting Depth: 1/4″

Seed Spacing: 12″

Row Spacing: 18-24″

Days to Maturity: 50

Disease Resistance: Bottom Rot, Tip Burn, Downy Mildew