Introduced in 1944, Great Lakes is a crisp, sweet, and crunchy iceberg lettuce packed with flavor. Compact heads are creamy white inside with a light green exterior. This heirloom seed produces a tastier version of the lettuce you buy at the grocery store!
Great Lakes has a satisfying crunch that makes it perfect as a topping for sandwiches or in a fresh summer salad.
Sow seeds in trays indoors three to four weeks before transplanting outdoors, or sow directly in the garden as soon as the soil is workable. Harden seedlings two to three days before transplanting.
This variety grows well into the warmer months of the spring and can be planted into the warm months of the fall. Great Lakes is both heat and cold tolerant and slow to bolt. Ensure the soil remains consistently moist throughout the growing season to promote optimal flavor and color.
Before maturity, you can harvest outer leaves so that the center leaves can continue to grow. Alternatively, wait until the plant matures, then cut the lettuce head 1 inch above the soil line with a sharp knife.
Allow one lettuce plant to go to seed. Once it bolts, a stalk will rise in the middle of the plant and flower. Once the flowers have dried, little cottony white puffs will emerge on the stalk. Seeds are located underneath the white puffs. Make sure to check on the plant daily as wind can carry away the seeds if left unharvested. Bring the harvested flower heads inside and break them apart with your fingers to release the seeds. Lay seeds out to dry for one week before storing in a cool, dry place for up to five years.