What Are The Best Lettuce Varieties by Season for UK Gardens? There Are Over 100 Named Varieties So Which Will Prevent Bolting Etc?
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I was recently asked to recommend the best lettuce varieties, ones that would reduce the level of bolting that many people experience. Sadly many of the varieties I grew as a commercial lettuce grower are no longer available so I had to think this one through for a moment. My simplest advice is to choose the ones that the more reliable seed companies recommend.
But before ordering we need to think about why a lettuce would bolt. They are biennial plants which means they normally grow into a mature plant in year one and produce seed in year two. BUT, if they “feel” threatened they will speed the process. If they are facing poor growing conditions they will make the attempt to produce seed before they die, ie they will bolt. Because bolting is just the natural process that they will undoubtedly go through in year two if left to their own devices.
So what triggers bolting?
Poor growing conditions is the simple answer. Anything that threatens the normal growing process. Too much heat, too little water, too much water, too little light.
The last one is interesting because I so often read that lettuce prefer shade. They don’t. They prefer very good light conditions and full sunshine in UK conditions. I grew all mine in green houses with good natural light or fields in full sun. People tend to confuse too hot with insufficient water.
Lettuce grown in my greenhouses often got very warm in mid summer but never bolted because they had enough moisture.
The key challenges in the UK are bolting (premature flowering due to stress) in summer and low light conditions in winter. Varieties are selected for resistance to these factors.
Below are my suggestions for each season. But bear in mind that different soil types, light and other growing conditions need to be taken into account.
Those with AGM after their names are generally very good for the prescribed time of year in most parts. AGM (Award of Garden Merit):Signifies a variety that is reliable and suitable for UK gardens, as awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
Don’t forget that the recommendations I’m making are generally for cutting as opposed to regularly removing individual leaves over a much longer season. In the latter case you need to select a variety that might have to span several seasons. Often the ones recommended will suit.
Any lettuce with Winter in is name is best grown in winter. The clue is in the name!
Spring (Sow February–April / Harvest April–June)
Spring sowing benefits from varieties that establish quickly as temperatures rise, and can be started early under protection.
Type
Protected (Sow Feb–Mar under glass)
Outside (Sow Mar–Apr)
Notes
Butterhead
‘All The Year Round’(AGM)
‘All The Year Round’ (AGM)
Classic, reliable, versatile butterhead.
Butterhead
‘Tom Thumb’
‘May King’
Quick-growing, small heads, good for containers. ‘May King’ is an old, reliable spring variety.
Cos/Romaine
‘Little Gem’ (AGM)
‘Little Gem’(AGM)
Early to mature, compact, sweet and crisp.
Loose Leaf
‘Salad Bowl’ (AGM)
‘Salad Bowl’(AGM)
Excellent cut-and-come-again variety, oak-leaved.
Summer (Sow April–July / Harvest June–October)
Summer growing requires heat-tolerant varieties that are slow to bolt and resistant to bitterness.
Type
Protected (Avoid midday heat)
Outside (Sow in slight shade)
Notes
Crisphead
‘Sioux’ (AGM) (Red-tipped)
‘Webbs Wonderful’(AGM)
Excellent resistance to bolting, large crisp heads. ‘Sioux’ provides good colour. Beware mildew on crisp lettuce. In my experience they are more prone to it than other types.
Cos/Romaine
‘Lobjoits Green Cos’ (AGM)
‘Lobjoits Green Cos’ (AGM)
Considered one of the best cos varieties; forms dense, crisp heads. This is a heritage variety and I have grown several million of them during my career.
Butterhead
‘Diana’
‘Sangria’ (AGM)
‘Diana’ offers excellent resistance to bolting. ‘Sangria’ is purply-red and slow to bolt.
Loose Leaf
‘Lollo Rossa’
‘Red Sails’
Attractive, frilly red leaves. ‘Red Sails’ is noted as one of the slowest-bolting red varieties.
Autumn varieties must be quick-maturing before the winter cold and, if grown outside, can benefit from cloche protection as temperatures drop.
Type
Protected (Sow Aug in greenhouse/cloche)
Outside (Sow Aug–early Sep)
Notes
Cos/Romaine
‘Winter Density’(AGM)
‘Winter Density’(AGM)
Semi-cos type, compact, dark green, good cold tolerance. Excellent all-rounder.
Butterhead
‘All The Year Round’ (AGM)
‘All The Year Round’(AGM)
Late sowing under cover/cloche allows continuous cropping.
Butterhead
‘Merveille de Quatre Saisons’
‘Valdor’
‘Marvel of Four Seasons’ offers good colour and is reliable for late cropping. It is a heritage variety from 1885. ‘Valdor’ is a green, winter-hardy butterhead.
Winter crops are sown in autumn and grown slowly over winter, often with some form of protection, specifically requiring varieties that tolerate low light and cold. They are typically harvested in late winter/early spring.
Type
Protected (Greenhouse/Polytunnel/Cold Frame)
Outside (Hardy varieties only)
Notes
Cos/Romaine
‘Winter Density’ (AGM)
‘Winter Density’ (AGM) (With cloche/fleece)
The classic winter lettuce, providing a compact, sweet, crisp heart.
Butterhead
‘Arctic King’
‘Arctic King’(With fleece protection)
One of the hardiest butterheads, best sown in autumn for spring pickings.
Butterhead
‘Valian’ (Little Gem type)
‘Brighton’
‘Valian’ is a compact Little Gem type perfect for unheated glass. ‘Brighton’ is noted as a very hardy butterhead and mildew resistance.
Alternative Leaf
Corn Salad (Lamb’s Lettuce) / Winter Purslane
Corn Salad / Winter Purslane
These aren’t lettuce, but hardy salad crops to fill the winter gap, requiring little to no protection in milder areas.
A Note on Growing:
How to Grow Lettuce, From Butterhead to Cos
Continuous Supply: To ensure a constant harvest, sow little and often (successional sowing) every 2-3 weeks, rather than a large batch all at once.
Bolting: To minimise bolting in summer, ensure the plants are kept consistently moist at the root.
Protection: Even the hardiest winter varieties benefit greatly from a cloche or fleece when grown outside during the coldest months to protect them from the worst of the weather and wet.
My Lettuce Finale Comments!
These are my recommendations for Best Lettuce Varieties by season. Much will depend on your location, soil type and growing conditions but these are a good starting point.
