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Hanson Lettuce
Lactuca sativa
Heirloom lettuce with a crunch and a refreshing taste! Wavy green outer leaves with a white core. White seeded variety.
Hanson Lettuce came to the US in 1800 and was improved by the Hanson Family of Maryland, and in 1870 Colonel George Hanson shared the seed with the Henry Dreer Seed Company of Philadelphia who first commercialized it.
This lettuce is listed in the Ark of Taste with this quote from George Hanson himself: “this lettuce is superior in every respect to any lettuce I ever saw, for these reasons: the heads are the largest, a single one is frequently large enough for an ordinary sized family; the leaves are exceedingly crisp and tender, and (if cut early in the morning) seem to break like pipe stems; the color is of the most beautiful green without, and white within, and is entirely free from that peculiar grassy taste found in some varieties.”
This variety is not suitable for shipping, and so it fell out of favor by the 1910s. It is listed as "at risk" as it is only preserved by heirloom seed savers and smaller seed companies at this point.
Days to maturity: 75-80
Seeds per pack: 100
Germination rate: 97% on 02/14/2024
Planting / harvesting notes
Seed every 1" in rows 8-12" apart, 1/4-1/2" deep. Keep watered until germination. Thin to every 14" (and eat the thinnings!), and stagger the position of remaining heads between rows to give them extra space. Harvest when you can't wait anymore!
Seed keeping notes
Lettuce is very much self-pollinating, but give at least 10 feet between plants (we give at least 35 feet) to avoid unwanted cross-pollination from flying insects. Allow the plants to bolt and flower. Often, flowering lettuce benefits from simple staking (we tie several plants together) so that the flowers and seedheads do not fall to the ground. Seed is ripe when the flowers turn to 'feathers', which are fluff balls like dandelions. In the moist summers of Pennsylvania, we harvest the entire seedheads when at least 50% of the plant has gone to seed. If there are dry days in the forcast, feel free to wait longer for more ripe seed. Cut the seedheads a few feet down, and allow to dry about a week in a sunny dry place like a greenhouse, sunny window, or even a car seat. Later, wearing a handkerchief or mask to avoid breathing in the feathers and dust, bang the seedheads in a bucket allowing the seed to fall to the bottom. The ripest seeds fall, the least ripe stay in the plant, so do not over do it. Sift through strainers to remove the large chaff, and then use your breath, a fan, or the wind to carefully blow off the smaller dust.
