Also known as ‘Commodore Nutt’ & ‘Stone Tennis Ball.’ A true garden gem. Very quick maturing miniature butterhead lettuce with excels in flavour, texture & cropping ability. This is not the Tom Thumb introduced by Thompson’s of Ipswich in 1850 (& later mentioned in Vilmorin) that variety was a French lettuce called ‘Tom Pouce’, which is large, darker & less sweet than its English counterpart. 
 
CULTURE – Ideally sow inside in prepared seed beds or trays Feb– July (but be sure to avoid heavy frost as this will damage young tender shoots.) Lettuce prefers a sheltered, sunny location with plenty of organic matter incorporated into the soil. Warm wet weather encourages oodles of growth, dry conditions can cause bolting (going to seed) so it is best to sow small quantities at regular intervals to avoid a glut (or dearth). Many need some protection if harsh winter weather is expected.