This is an extremely winter-hardy butterhead with pleasant, mild, velvety leaves. It is excellent for salads anytime, but especially exciting to have something green and crunchy while snow is still on the ground. Last year, starting on the first day of spring, we sold this variety to Johnny Brenda's kitchen in Philadelphia while they waited for their regular farmers' early lettuce crops to mature. It's a Pennsylvania Dutch selection of the now-extinct late 1700s variety known as White Tennisball. Roughwood Seed Collection acquired this seed in 1994 from renowned Lettuce seed collector Mary Schultz of Monroe, Washington. Days to Maturity: overwinter Seeds per pack: 200 Germination rate: 90% on 12/16/2025 Planting / harvesting notes Seed every 1" in rows 8-12" apart, 1/4-1/2" deep. Keep watered until germination. Thin to every 8". Harvest when you can't wait anymore! Seed keeping notes Lettuce is very much self-pollinating, but give at least 10 feet between plants (we give at least 35 feet) to avoid unwanted cross-pollination from flying insects. Allow the plants to bolt and flower. Often, flowering lettuce benefits from simple staking (we tie several plants together) so that the flowers and seedheads do not fall to the ground. Seed is ripe when the flowers turn to 'feathers,' which are fluff balls like dandelions. In the moist summers of Pennsylvania, we harvest the entire seedheads when at least 50% of the plant has gone to seed. If there are dry days in the forecast, feel free to wait longer for more ripe seed. Cut the seedheads a few feet down, and allow to dry about a week in a sunny dry place like a greenhouse, sunny window, or even a car seat. Later, wearing a handkerchief or mask to avoid breathing in the feathers and dust, bang the seedheads in a bucket allowing the seed to fall to the bottom. The ripest seeds fall, the least ripe stay in the plant, so do not over do it. Sift through strainers to remove the large chaff, and then use your breath, a fan, or the wind to carefully blow off the smaller dust.
