Description
Great Lakes 118 lettuce is a classic crisphead variety that delivers the cool crunch of iceberg lettuce right from your garden. Developed in the 1960s as an improvement on the original 'Great Lakes,' this heat-tolerant selection resists bolting, scalding, and tip burn, producing compact, round heads with vibrant green outer leaves and a crisp, blanched center. Ideal for salads, sandwiches, or container gardening, it’s a reliable choice for gardeners seeking a crisp, refreshing lettuce throughout the warm season.
The Great Lakes 118 Lettuce forms heads about 6″ in diameter and thrives in full sun with consistent moisture. Harvest by cutting the entire head at ground level, or pick outer leaves individually for a continuous supply. For the best results, trim outer leaves while leaving enough plant for regrowth.
This packet sows up to 148 feet. 660 seeds.
Variety Info:
Botanical Name: Lactuca sativa
Days to Maturity: 68–82 days
Family: Asteraceae
Native: Unknown; lettuce has been in cultivation for a long time.
Hardiness: Frost-tolerant annual
Plant Dimensions: 6″ diameter
Variety Information: Very compact, round heads with green outer leaves and a blanched center. 'Great Lakes 118' is heat tolerant, and bolt, scald, and tip burn resistant. An improved selection over the original, award-winning, 'Great Lakes', which was bred to be larger and firmer than the crisphead lettuces developed earlier in Europe, known as Batavia or summercrisp types.
Attributes: Good for Containers, Heat Tolerant
Sowing Info:
When to Sow Outside: RECOMMENDED. 2 to 4 weeks before your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is at least 40°F, ideally 60°–70°F. Successive Sowings: Every 3 weeks until 4 to 6 weeks before your average first fall frost date. Mild Climates: Sow in fall and winter for cool season harvests.
When to Start Inside: 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date, and in summer when soil temperatures are too warm (above 80°F) to germinate lettuce seed.
Days to Emerge: 5–10 days
Seed Depth: Surface to ?”
Seed Spacing: A group of 3 seeds every 8″
Row Spacing: 10″
Thinning: When ½” tall, thin to 1 every 8″
Growing Info:
Harvesting: Harvest in the morning, by cutting off at ground level. If regrowth is desired, cut the leaves higher, at 2″. For a continual supply, outer, individual leaves can be harvested at any stage of maturity, but leave at least half of the plant for regrowth.
