Crop type: Lettuce
Lactuca sativa ‘Hollywood’ PBR
Common name: Iceberg lettuce ‘Hollywood’ AGM
Crop slug: lettuce
This Allotment Pro editorial draft summarises the cited RHS cultivar profile. Check the source and adjust cultivation decisions for local conditions.RHS cultivar profile
1 - Overview
‘Hollywood’ is a compact iceberg, or crisphead, lettuce producing a dense round head of medium-green leaves. It makes relatively few wasteful outer leaves, so much of the mature plant contributes to the useful harvested head.
Its compact form suits intensive vegetable beds where a clean, firm crop is preferred. Resistance to downy mildew is an especially useful characteristic in a lettuce grown as a tight head, although sound spacing, ventilation and watering practice remain important. The cultivar carries an RHS Award of Garden Merit and is protected by Plant Breeders’ Rights.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 0.1–0.5 metre
- Ultimate spread
- 0.1–0.5 metre
- Time to ultimate size
- 1 year
The plant stays low and compact but needs enough room for its rounded crisphead to develop evenly. Do not let neighbouring plants press against the few outer wrapper leaves.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soils
- Chalk, clay, loam or sand
- Moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral or alkaline
Grow in fertile, moisture-retentive soil with free drainage. Regular moisture is important during rapid head formation: dry checks can reduce quality, while saturated ground encourages decay. Add well-rotted organic matter before planting and firm the soil lightly around transplants.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun
- Aspect
- North-, south-, east- or west-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed or sheltered
- Hardiness
- H2 — tolerant of low temperatures but not surviving prolonged freezing
Full sun supports the firmest heads, although a little temporary shade can help during very hot weather. Use fleece or cloches during cold early or late-season spells. Remove or ventilate protection whenever conditions become mild and humid.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
At maturity, medium-green wrapper leaves surround a dense, rounded head with a paler green interior. The outer leaf layer is economical rather than sprawling, and the crisphead should appear symmetrical and solid. Harvest before the centre elongates. A normal edible crop has no flowers or seed heads.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Name status
- Accepted
Genus
Lactuca includes annual, biennial and perennial plants with alternate leaves and milky sap. Cultivated lettuces are selected for edible foliage and are normally harvested before they produce their branching flower stems.
Safety
No specific handling warning is listed on the exact RHS profile. Remove damaged wrapper leaves, wash the head carefully and follow normal food-hygiene practice before eating.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in full sun in any fertile soil that retains moisture while draining well. Sow thinly in shallow drills or raise plants in modules, then set them out without burying the central growing point. Allow the compact heads enough space for air to move between them.
Water at soil level in the morning and keep growth steady from establishment through heading. Use succession sowings instead of one large batch, protect young plants from cold, and harvest when the round head feels firm but before it becomes over-mature. Downy mildew resistance lowers risk but does not replace rotation, hygiene and ventilation.
Propagation
Propagate by seed. Sow small batches through the suitable season, avoiding very hot soil because high temperatures can inhibit lettuce germination.
Suggested locations
- Vegetable plot
- Raised bed
- Sheltered or open allotment row
- Large container
Pruning
No pruning is required. Remove only yellow or damaged outer leaves, then cut the whole firm head at harvest.
Pests
May be susceptible to birds, slugs, snails and root aphids. Protect seedlings, inspect around the low wrapper leaves and keep the bed free from hiding places.
Diseases
May be susceptible to grey mould and lettuce downy mildew, although ‘Hollywood’ is bred for downy mildew resistance. Avoid crowding and overhead watering late in the day, and remove decaying material promptly.