Variety field guide
What to expect from Carmona Red Lettuce Seeds
Carmona Red develops a generous butterhead with bright red outer leaves surrounding a lime-green heart.
Read the complete product descriptionTraits, flavor, garden use, variety notes, and the full catalog record
Carmona Red develops a generous butterhead with bright red outer leaves surrounding a lime-green heart. The silky foliage brings a soft, delicate texture to salads and sandwiches, with enough color to stand out among darker greens. Grow whole heads for a beautiful kitchen harvest or take a few tender outer leaves while the center fills. Cool weather and steady moisture help preserve the succulent quality that makes butterhead lettuce so appealing.
A silky red butterhead with a bright green heart.
Growing facts
- Botanical name: Lactuca sativa
- Maturity or display: About 50 days
- Mature size: Size varies with harvest stage; allow the stated plant spacing
- Spacing: 12 in between plants; rows 18 in
About the variety
Carmona Red is an open-pollinated butterhead lettuce with red outer leaves and a lime-green center. Its soft leaf texture makes it useful for fresh salads and tender lettuce cups.
Starting seed
Sow on the surface or barely cover, about 1/8 in., in spring or late summer. Keep moist at 55-70 F; allow 5-14 days to sprout. Thin to 12 in. apart, rows 18 in. apart. Choose fertile soil and sun to light shade.
Care through the season
Maintain steady moisture and avoid crowding. Shade cloth can moderate strong afternoon heat, but slow-bolting varieties still flower eventually. Make small repeat sowings for a steady supply. Lettuce seed may germinate poorly in hot soil; start in a cooler spot when necessary.
Harvest and use
Pick outside leaves as needed or cut developed heads in 50 days. Refrigerate promptly; harvest before bolting. For seed, let selected plants flower, isolate varieties and collect the fluffy, dry seedheads.
Saving seed
Lettuce is largely self-pollinating, though crossing is possible. Keep healthy plants with the desired leaf type, allow seed stalks to flower, and separate varieties when purity matters. Collect ripe seedheads as their white fluff appears. Dry thoroughly, clean and store cool and dry.
Common problems
Inspect for aphids and slugs. Keep foliage and crowns from staying wet overnight, avoid waterlogged soil and maintain airflow. Heat, long days and water stress promote bolting or bitter leaves; harvest promptly and plan a new cool-season sowing.
Frequently asked questions
What distinguishes this variety?
Carmona Red develops a generous butterhead with bright red outer leaves surrounding a lime-green heart.
When should I harvest?
Pick outside leaves as needed or cut developed heads in 50 days. Refrigerate promptly; harvest before bolting. For seed, let selected plants flower, isolate varieties and collect the fluffy, dry seedheads.
How can I avoid poor quality?
Maintain steady moisture and avoid crowding. Shade cloth can moderate strong afternoon heat, but slow-bolting varieties still flower eventually. Make small repeat sowings for a steady supply. Lettuce seed may germinate poorly in hot soil; start in a cooler spot when necessary.





