Tennis Ball Lettuce

4Reviews
SKU: 0391A-P250
$4.25

Item Details

Small rosettes of light green leaves measure only 7" in diameter and form loose tender heads. Grown by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. According to Heirloom Vegetable Gardening by Seed Savers Exchange member William Woys Weaver, tennis ball lettuces were often pickled in salt brine during the 17th and 18th centuries. Black-seeded.


  • 50 days
  • Organic
  • Butterhead lettuce
  • Heads grow to 7 inches
  • Soft textured rosettes
  • Black seeded

This variety works for:

  • Fresh eating


This lettuce can be used in salads or as an addition to sandwiches and burgers. Mix it with other varieties to create a salad mix of different textures, colors, and flavors.


Salads that have a lettuce base are often combined with grated cheese, fresh or dried fruit, nuts, and rich and crispy meats like bacon or pork belly.

Growing Instructions

Instructions - Sow continuously for a constant supply of lettuce. Best grown in cooler weather. Plant in full sun or partial shade.

  • Direct Seed: 1" Apart
  • Seed Depth: 1/4"
  • Germination: 7-14 Days
  • Thin: 6-8" Apart

Ratings & Reviews

4 reviews

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Surefire winner.

by

I've not had a ton of success with lettuce in Bay Area California, but this is an exception. Tennis ball form tight heads and pack a lot of crunch. Perhaps one day I will learn to grow them without getting so much soil up in them.

My favorite lettuce

by

LOVE this lettuce. It grew ok in containers but it really took off in my strawberry beds. I kept those beds shaded with sheets during our hot season (June) and uncovered them during our cooler rainy season (July). I've had to pick leaves from them almost every day to keep them under control. They grew so fast and big. And the taste is terrific. Buttery and tender. I can't image why I would ever want to grow another kind of lettuce.

Heirloom iceberg

by

Growing at 7000’, we covered for the initial few weeks after thinning, then uncovered and let fill out. Heads are solid and crunchy. Will grow again. Reminds me of iceberg.

Velvety

by

Their velvety leaves slide over your tongue bearing salad dressing and what the French call "crudite.' " I thin the heads to 7 inches apart. They work great as inter-plantings. Done by June.