Iceberg Lettuce

Lactuca sativa var. capitata 'Great Lakes'

vegetable

Iceberg is the classic crisphead lettuce, forming a dense, round head of pale, crunchy, mild leaves, and it is the most heat-tolerant of the lettuces, the Great Lakes strain bred to head reliably in warmer conditions. The most demanding lettuce to grow well, it needs a longer, cool season of about 80 to 90 days to form a tight, full head.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Carrots — Different root depth uses bed space efficiently
• Sweet Alyssum — Low groundcover that attracts aphid-eating hoverflies
• Chives — Onion scent helps deter aphids
• Radishes — Fast trap crop that lures flea beetles away

❌ Keep away from

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Aphids →

  Interplant alyssum and herbs to draw hoverflies; check leaf undersides

• Slugs →

  Water in the morning so beds dry by night; trap and hand-pick after dark

• Bolting →

  Grow in the cool season with even moisture; heat triggers bolting

🌾 Harvest & storage

Cut the whole head at the base once it feels firm and solid, like a loose cabbage, harvesting in the cool of the morning. Pick promptly once heads firm up, since mature iceberg left in warm weather bolts and turns bitter; the dense heads keep well for a week or two refrigerated.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Iceberg lettuce is very low in calories and high in water, making it crisp and refreshing, and while milder in nutrients than darker greens it still provides some vitamin K, vitamin A, and folate.