I need a lettuce recommendation

[T]

Hi All,

Zone 6c. very short growing season.

I have a spot open in next years plan that I'd like to fill with (leaf) lettuce.

Any recommendations?

Many thanks,

-T

[hubops]

What part of the planet are you in ? I don't see any 6 C . . .

John T.

[T]

6B. Sorry.

[Nyssa]

New Red Fire.

Looks gorgeous and tastes just dandy. It has some decent frost-tolerance as well.

I'm growing some in a pot on my deck right now to use up some leftover seeds. Even after a bit of sleet and snow this week, it's still looking okay.

Nyssa, who can do without the sleet and snow this early in the season

[T]

Thank you!

[songbird]

T wrote:...

i don't have any specific recommendations because i've found that conditions can vary so much and tastes too that what i might think of being a good lettuce others may go yuck.

so, i suggest trying several different kinds, the seeds are not that expensive, and then see how they grow and how they taste.

unfortunately, here Mom is pretty picky and won't eat most of what i've grown in the past for greens so i do not even bother any more. she likes romaine lettuce and it must be store bought...

i like about any green, spinach, beet greens, chard, cabbages, etc.

songbird

[Nyssa]

You're welcome!

If you'd like to see a picture of a potful of New Red Fire lettuce, you can visit

and see for yourself. Look under In the Garden and the article on "pot farming"....no not THAT kind of pot! :)

Nyssa, who will be adding more gardening articles to the site in coming months

[T]

Hi Nyssa,

Oh that is red!

How would you describe the taste?

What kind of soil does it like? How much water does it like?

Can I occasionally rip off some leaves, or should I harvest the whole thing at once?

Does it grow back?

Many thanks,

-T

[T]

Where did you get your seeds?

[Nyssa]

The seeds are available from Pinetree. I've also gotten them from Kitazawa, but they're much more expensive there.

You can remove leaves from the outside of the plant a few at a time (enough for salad or sandwich), and the plant will keep on going.

I've grown it out in the garden beds with just regular dirt, amended with peat moss and a bit of slow-acting fertilizer or in pots such as shown on the website.

My pot farm soil is a rich mix of potting soil, peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite with a bit of fertilizer. I've described it in the article.

The taste? Not as watery as Iceberg. I usually grow several types of lettuce including heading lettuce that I harvest as leaf lettuce and use the red stuff in a mix for salads.

Otherwise I don't know how to describe the taste. Not bitter is the best I can manage.

HTH.

Nyssa, who also has a pot of Tom Thumb green heading lettuce out on the deck that's doing well so far, but uses it as leaf lettuce a bit at a time from the outside of the forming head