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A healthy Prizehead lettuce with frilly green leaves tinged red-bronze at the edges in a sunny garden

How to Grow Prizehead Lettuce From Seed

By Maxim Kaufman — Founder & CEO, Organo Republic

Updated July 2026

Prizehead is an old-fashioned loose-leaf lettuce with big, frilly, red-tinged leaves that are among the sweetest and most tender you can grow. It grows fast, harvests cut-and-come-again, and brings both beautiful color and delicate flavor to the salad bowl. Here is what makes this variety special and how to get the best from it.

This is the quick guide to Prizehead. For the full step-by-step on starting seeds, sowing, feeding, and troubleshooting lettuce, see our complete guide to growing lettuce from seed.

Quick start

Sow seed about an eighth of an inch deep, barely covered, since lettuce needs light to germinate. Thin plants to 4 to 8 inches apart as a loose-leaf type. Prizehead is ready in about 45 to 50 days, with the reddest color in cool weather and full sun. Harvest cut-and-come-again, taking outer leaves and leaving the crown to keep producing.

Best tip

Prizehead is an old-fashioned loose-leaf lettuce with big, frilly, red-tinged leaves that are exceptionally sweet and tender. It grows fast and is well suited to cut-and-come-again harvesting. Sow it shallow, keep it evenly moist, and pick outer leaves regularly. Its red tinge deepens in cool weather and full sun, so grow it in spring and fall, and give afternoon shade in the heat to keep it from bolting.

At a glance

Botanical nameLactuca sativa

Plant typeCool-season annual (loose-leaf)

USDA zones2 to 11 (grown as an annual)

SunFull sun to part shade

Days to maturity45 to 50 days

Height8 to 12 inches

Spacing4 to 8 inches apart

WaterEven and steady; keep moist

Uses

Prizehead offers big, frilly, red-tinged leaves that are among the sweetest and most tender of the loose-leaf lettuces. Its color and ruffled texture make salads beautiful, and its delicate leaves are lovely in sandwiches and wraps. As a cut-and-come-again type, it lets you harvest outer leaves for weeks while the plant keeps growing.

Frequently asked questions

How long does Prizehead lettuce take to grow?

Prizehead is a fast loose-leaf type, ready in about 45 to 50 days, with outer leaves pickable sooner. It keeps producing for weeks when harvested cut-and-come-again.

What does Prizehead lettuce look and taste like?

It has large, frilly leaves tinged red-bronze at the edges, with a notably sweet, tender flavor. The color and ruffled texture make it one of the prettiest loose-leaf lettuces for salads.

Why are my Prizehead leaves more green than red?

The red tinge develops with cool temperatures and full sun. Grow Prizehead in the cool of spring and fall with plenty of light and the leaves will take on their characteristic red-bronze edges.

How do I harvest Prizehead lettuce?

Use the cut-and-come-again method, snipping outer leaves an inch above the crown and letting the plant keep growing. Pick in the cool morning for the sweetest, crispest leaves.

Ready to grow your own? Prizehead is one of the varieties in our lettuce and salad greens pack, so you can grow sweet frilly leaves alongside a whole salad garden. For the full step-by-step, see our complete lettuce growing guide linked at the top of this page.

Prizehead Lettuce Seeds – Non-GMO HeirloomHeirloom, non-GMOHeirloom Prizehead — ruffled red-tinged leaves, mild and tender.

Price$4.99

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Want more lettuce? These value packs pair Prizehead with other varieties:

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Lettuce & Greens Seeds Variety Pack – Non-GMO Heirloom22 lettuce & greensAn even bigger salad collection — 22 lettuces and greens for months of fresh leaves in every color and texture.

Price$12.99Starting at$9.99

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By Maxim Kaufman — Founder & CEO, Organo Republic

Maxim founded Organo Republic in 2017 and personally selects, tests, and grows the heirloom, non-GMO varieties the company offers. Under his leadership, Organo Republic was named Agri Business Review’s Top Non-GMO Seed Variety Solution 2026.