Variety field guide
What to expect from Little Gem
Little Gem is an annual lettuce selection grown for salad greens, baby leaf or heads, succession planting, containers, and seed saving.
Read the complete product descriptionTraits, flavor, garden use, variety notes, and the full catalog record
The leaves are sweet, mild, and ideal for individual servings or gourmet salads. Excellent for container gardens and succession planting. An English heirloom from the early 1900s, ‘Little Gem’ remains beloved for its flavor, convenience, and charm-a true miniature masterpiece of the lettuce world.
About Little Gem
Little Gem is an annual selection of lettuce, with an upright/erect habit and an expected height or spread of 7–12 in. It is best suited to salad greens, baby leaf or heads, succession planting, containers, and seed saving. Notable traits include harvest baby leaf, loose heads, or mature heads at the listed stage; mild to richly textured leaves according to type.
Treat Little Gem as a named seed line with its own observations, not as a generic stand-in for the entire lettuce crop.
History and provenance
Leafy greens have been selected for rosette form, head type, color, texture, bitterness, season, and bolt resistance. Mixtures and market classes should not be given a single invented pedigree, and forcing chicory, endive, lettuce, and spinach remain botanically distinct crops. Lettuce Seeds - Romaine - Little Gem belongs to a plant lineage long associated with Mediterranean and Old World garden agriculture. It was selected over generations for kitchen, market, ornamental, or herbal value and remains useful in modern home gardens. Romaine types form upright heads with substantial midribs and are harvested before bolting loosens the head.
Growing facts
| Scientific name | Lactuca sativa L. |
|---|---|
| Life cycle | Annual |
| Maturity | 40-49 Days |
| Germination | 3-7 Days at 45–60 °F |
| Seed depth | 1/8 in |
| Plant height / spread | 7–12 in |
| Growth habit | Upright/Erect |
| Spacing | 8 in between plants; 18 in between rows |
| Sunlight | Full - Partial Sun |
| Soil | Loamy; pH 6.0–6.5 |
| Water | Moderate |
| Support | No-Support |
Starting Little Gem from seed
Sow 1/8 in deep and keep the seed zone evenly moist. Expect emergence in 3-7 Days when the seed-zone temperature is near 45–60 °F. Germination preparation: Direct sow into a prepared, weed-free seedbed; avoid disturbing developing roots or dense stands. Light requirement: Light aids germination; barely cover. Soaking: None required. Stratification: None required. Scarification: None required.
Planting and care
Plant during spring and provide full - partial sun. Space plants 8 in apart with 18 in between rows. Use loamy with a pH near 6.0–6.5, and follow a moderate watering plan. Support requirement: No-Support. Frost response: Semi-Hardy. Good container fit with drainage, even moisture, and the listed spacing
Harvest and use
Approximately 40-49 Days, from direct sowing or transplanting to the listed baby-leaf or head stage. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date. Harvest: Harvest baby leaf, loose heads, or mature heads at the listed stage. Uses: Salad greens, baby leaf or heads, succession planting, containers, and seed saving. Flavor: mild to richly textured leaves according to type. Seed saving: Primarily self-pollinated annual. Best uses include salad greens, baby leaf or heads, succession planting, containers, and seed saving. Flavor and eating quality: mild to richly textured leaves according to type.
Saving seed
Select several healthy, true-to-type Little Gem plants that match the expected upright/erect habit and overall plant form. Avoid saving seed only from the earliest or largest individual unless that is your deliberate selection goal. Pollination system: Primarily self-pollinated annual. Crossing is less frequent than in brassicas but can occur at close range. Separate compatible varieties that may flower together, or use cages, barriers, hand pollination, or another documented control appropriate to the crop. Allow selected plants to pass the eating stage and reach full botanical seed maturity. Harvest only when seed heads, pods, or fruits have matured enough for sound seed development. Clean the seed carefully, dry it thoroughly away from direct heat, label the lot with variety and year, and store it cool, dark, and dry. Test germination before an important planting or distribution season.
Common problems
Common concerns: Aphids, slugs, leaf miners, caterpillars, damping-off, bottom rot, and premature bolting under stress. Management: Use clean beds, even moisture, spacing for airflow, crop rotation, and harvest before heat or crowding lowers quality. Diagnosis note: Similar symptoms can have different causes. Compare plants of the same age, record weather and irrigation, and use local Extension or diagnostic support before applying a control.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions - Little Gem
When is Little Gem ready? Use 40-49 Days. Approximately 40-49 Days, from direct sowing or transplanting to the listed baby-leaf or head stage. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date.
How long does germination take? Expect 3-7 Days at about 45–60 °F. Cooler, hotter, crusted, saturated, or dry seedbeds can slow emergence.
How large does it grow? Expect about 7–12 in with an upright/erect habit. Space plants 8 in apart and rows 18 in apart. Support: No-Support.
Can it grow in a container? Good container fit with drainage, even moisture, and the listed spacing Use a container with drainage and enough volume to maintain the listed spacing and steady moisture.
Can I save seed? Primarily self-pollinated annual. Keep compatible varieties isolated and allow selected plants to reach full seed maturity.
