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Lettuce-Butterhead-Poster.jpg
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Buttercrunch Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)

$3.95

Tender hearts. Crisp leaves. A cool-season classic that thrives in Pennsylvania gardens.

Why We Love It in Pennsylvania

Buttercrunch is a cool-weather workhorse that handles our unpredictable springs and long, gentle falls with grace. Its loose, buttery heads stay sweet in chilly nights and keep their crunch through warm days better than most lettuces. From backyard patches to market rows, it’s a natural fit for PA’s Zones 5–6 (and neighboring 4 & 7 microclimates).

A Living Link to Our Agricultural Past

Pennsylvania has a deep agricultural heritage, from farmhouse kitchen gardens and Victory Gardens to old-line seed houses and Amish & Mennonite seed saving. Butterhead lettuces like Buttercrunch were mainstays of spring and autumn tables: quick to mature, forgiving to grow, and prized for their tender hearts. Planting Buttercrunch carries that tradition forward. It is honest food from good soil.

Quick Facts

  • Type: Butterhead lettuce

  • Days to Maturity: ~55–65 days (baby leaves in 28–35)

  • Habit: Compact, loose heads with crisp, succulent leaves

  • Flavor: Mild, sweet, and buttery

  • Best For: Spring & fall crops; cut-and-come-again baby leaves

How to Grow Buttercrunch in PA

When to Plant

  • Spring: Direct sow or transplant as soon as soil can be worked (often late March–April in much of PA).

  • Fall: Sow late August–mid-September for a beautiful autumn harvest; protect with row cover as nights cool.
    (In higher elevations/northern counties, shift 1–2 weeks later in spring and earlier in fall.)

Site & Soil

  • Light: Full sun to light afternoon shade (shade helps in warm spells).

  • Soil: Loose, fertile, well-drained; pH 6.0–7.0. Enrich with finished compost.

  • Moisture: Keep consistently damp—shallow roots prefer steady, gentle water.

Sowing & Spacing

  • Direct Sow: ¼" deep; thin to 8–10" between plants, 12–18" between rows.

  • Transplants: Start indoors 3–4 weeks before last frost; harden off and set out at recommended spacing.

  • Succession: Sow every 10–14 days for a continuous harvest.

Care Tips

  • Use row cover in early spring to speed growth and deter pests.

  • Mulch lightly to hold moisture and keep leaves clean.

  • In warm spells, provide afternoon shade to preserve sweetness.

Harvest

  • Baby leaves: Cut at 4–6" for salads; plants will regrow.

  • Heads: Harvest when firm and full; cut at the base in the cool of morning.

  • Storage: Wrap unwashed heads in a damp towel or perforated bag; refrigerate up to a week.

Common PA Challenges

  • Bolting in heat: Plant spring & fall, offer shade in July heat.

  • Slugs & leaf miners: Keep beds tidy, water in the morning, use row cover, hand-pick as needed.

  • Bitter greens: Caused by heat or drought—keep soil evenly moist.

In the Kitchen

Buttercrunch shines in salads, lettuce wraps, and sandwiches—its tender hearts hold dressings without wilting and bring garden-fresh sweetness to every plate.

What You’ll Receive (Gowan Heritage Seeds)

  • Approx. seeds per packet: ~1,000

  • Germination: Packed for high viability; tested & verified

  • Non-GMO, untreated, open-pollinated

  • Packed For Year & Lot: Printed on packet for traceability

Gowan Heritage Note: We honor Pennsylvania’s seed-saving roots by choosing time-tested varieties, maintaining current germination tests, and sharing planting windows that match our local seasons—so your garden keeps the story growing.

Tender hearts. Crisp leaves. A cool-season classic that thrives in Pennsylvania gardens.

Why We Love It in Pennsylvania

Buttercrunch is a cool-weather workhorse that handles our unpredictable springs and long, gentle falls with grace. Its loose, buttery heads stay sweet in chilly nights and keep their crunch through warm days better than most lettuces. From backyard patches to market rows, it’s a natural fit for PA’s Zones 5–6 (and neighboring 4 & 7 microclimates).

A Living Link to Our Agricultural Past

Pennsylvania has a deep agricultural heritage, from farmhouse kitchen gardens and Victory Gardens to old-line seed houses and Amish & Mennonite seed saving. Butterhead lettuces like Buttercrunch were mainstays of spring and autumn tables: quick to mature, forgiving to grow, and prized for their tender hearts. Planting Buttercrunch carries that tradition forward. It is honest food from good soil.

Quick Facts

  • Type: Butterhead lettuce

  • Days to Maturity: ~55–65 days (baby leaves in 28–35)

  • Habit: Compact, loose heads with crisp, succulent leaves

  • Flavor: Mild, sweet, and buttery

  • Best For: Spring & fall crops; cut-and-come-again baby leaves

How to Grow Buttercrunch in PA

When to Plant

  • Spring: Direct sow or transplant as soon as soil can be worked (often late March–April in much of PA).

  • Fall: Sow late August–mid-September for a beautiful autumn harvest; protect with row cover as nights cool.
    (In higher elevations/northern counties, shift 1–2 weeks later in spring and earlier in fall.)

Site & Soil

  • Light: Full sun to light afternoon shade (shade helps in warm spells).

  • Soil: Loose, fertile, well-drained; pH 6.0–7.0. Enrich with finished compost.

  • Moisture: Keep consistently damp—shallow roots prefer steady, gentle water.

Sowing & Spacing

  • Direct Sow: ¼" deep; thin to 8–10" between plants, 12–18" between rows.

  • Transplants: Start indoors 3–4 weeks before last frost; harden off and set out at recommended spacing.

  • Succession: Sow every 10–14 days for a continuous harvest.

Care Tips

  • Use row cover in early spring to speed growth and deter pests.

  • Mulch lightly to hold moisture and keep leaves clean.

  • In warm spells, provide afternoon shade to preserve sweetness.

Harvest

  • Baby leaves: Cut at 4–6" for salads; plants will regrow.

  • Heads: Harvest when firm and full; cut at the base in the cool of morning.

  • Storage: Wrap unwashed heads in a damp towel or perforated bag; refrigerate up to a week.

Common PA Challenges

  • Bolting in heat: Plant spring & fall, offer shade in July heat.

  • Slugs & leaf miners: Keep beds tidy, water in the morning, use row cover, hand-pick as needed.

  • Bitter greens: Caused by heat or drought—keep soil evenly moist.

In the Kitchen

Buttercrunch shines in salads, lettuce wraps, and sandwiches—its tender hearts hold dressings without wilting and bring garden-fresh sweetness to every plate.

What You’ll Receive (Gowan Heritage Seeds)

  • Approx. seeds per packet: ~1,000

  • Germination: Packed for high viability; tested & verified

  • Non-GMO, untreated, open-pollinated

  • Packed For Year & Lot: Printed on packet for traceability

Gowan Heritage Note: We honor Pennsylvania’s seed-saving roots by choosing time-tested varieties, maintaining current germination tests, and sharing planting windows that match our local seasons—so your garden keeps the story growing.

Quick Facts

  • Type: Butterhead lettuce

  • Days to Maturity: ~55–65 days (baby leaves in 28–35)

  • Habit: Compact, loose heads with crisp, succulent leaves

  • Flavor: Mild, sweet, and buttery

  • Best For: Spring & fall crops; cut-and-come-again baby leaves

How to Grow Buttercrunch in PA

When to Plant

  • Spring: Direct sow or transplant as soon as soil can be worked (often late March–April in much of PA).

  • Fall: Sow late August–mid-September for a beautiful autumn harvest; protect with row cover as nights cool.
    (In higher elevations/northern counties, shift 1–2 weeks later in spring and earlier in fall.)

Site & Soil

  • Light: Full sun to light afternoon shade (shade helps in warm spells).

  • Soil: Loose, fertile, well-drained; pH 6.0–7.0. Enrich with finished compost.

  • Moisture: Keep consistently damp—shallow roots prefer steady, gentle water.

Sowing & Spacing

  • Direct Sow: ¼" deep; thin to 8–10" between plants, 12–18" between rows.

  • Transplants: Start indoors 3–4 weeks before last frost; harden off and set out at recommended spacing.

  • Succession: Sow every 10–14 days for a continuous harvest.

Care Tips

  • Use row cover in early spring to speed growth and deter pests.

  • Mulch lightly to hold moisture and keep leaves clean.

  • In warm spells, provide afternoon shade to preserve sweetness.

Harvest

  • Baby leaves: Cut at 4–6" for salads; plants will regrow.

  • Heads: Harvest when firm and full; cut at the base in the cool of morning.

  • Storage: Wrap unwashed heads in a damp towel or perforated bag; refrigerate up to a week.

Common PA Challenges

  • Bolting in heat: Plant spring & fall, offer shade in July heat.

  • Slugs & leaf miners: Keep beds tidy, water in the morning, use row cover, hand-pick as needed.

  • Bitter greens: Caused by heat or drought—keep soil evenly moist.

In the Kitchen

Buttercrunch shines in salads, lettuce wraps, and sandwiches—its tender hearts hold dressings without wilting and bring garden-fresh sweetness to every plate.

What You’ll Receive (Gowan Heritage Seeds)

  • Approx. seeds per packet: ~250 (enough for multiple successions)

  • Germination: Packed for high viability; tested & verified

  • Non-GMO, untreated, open-pollinated

  • Packed For Year & Lot: Printed on packet for traceability

Gowan Heritage Note: We honor Pennsylvania’s seed-saving roots by choosing time-tested varieties, maintaining current germination tests, and sharing planting windows that match our local seasons—so your garden keeps the story growing.