Great Lakes 118 Lettuce Seeds (Lactuca sativa)

Single Packet of 400 Seeds

Great Lakes 118 is one of the most dependable crisp heading commercial lettuce varieties. Now available for the home gardener, this early variety will give gardeners a nice, firm head, with thick, curly leaves on the outside of the head that are perfect for lettuce wraps and on sandwiches.

Great Lakes 118 is a sturdy variety; it is resistant to scald and tip burn. The crisp heading lettuce varieties do well as spring and early summer lettuce. The variety also gives a nice autumn crop. For gardeners with limited space, this variety will grow well in containers and the new nanofarm kitchen gardens and can be harvested from the outside in through the spring and summer. A raised bed garden can also be mulched with straw for cool autumn evenings; the crop can last with some protection until Thanksgiving.

With curly large leaves on the outside, cold lettuce wraps with Asian flavors such as diced sesame chicken with cilantro and carrot are a popular flavor. A fresh spring garden wrap can include the large Great Lakes lettuce leaves on the outside, stuffed with cold rice or rice noodles, with chopped radish and sweet snap peas in a light citrus dressing.

This mild tasting, crisp lettuce is popular on tacos and for taco salads, as well as Asian lettuce soups and traditional spring and summer salads. Bright green and firm, it can deal with some summer heat, though it likes the mild spring weather. Many gardeners put in a crop in late August or early September for harvest in time for Thanksgiving.