Lettuce Red-leaf Varieties

The time to plant cool season crops is upon us, and our Red-leaf Lettuce varieties are sure to add beauty and interest to your fall vegetable garden. We are currently growing four different varieties of red-leaf Lettuce; ‘Red Ridinghood Butterleaf’, ‘Red Sails’, ‘New Red Fire’, and ‘Red Romaine’. We also grow ‘Gourmet Leaf Blend’ and ‘Bistro Salad Blend’, both of which have Red-leaf varieties in the mix.

The reddish-purple hues that are found in these and many other reddish-purple vegetables are from anthocyanins, a group of flavonoid antioxidants. Diets rich in anthocyanin-dense foods may fight inflammation. Red-leaf Lettuce are nutrient dense, and are high in a variety of essential vitamins and minerals, yet a very low in calories.

These varieties of Lettuce not only pack a powerful nutritional punch, they are delicious and beautiful in salads, wraps and sandwiches. They are easy to grow, and will reward you with the makings of a fresh, home-grown salad right at your fingertips. Plant in full sun, or partial sun in hot climate regions. Your soil should be loose and nutrient-rich. Feed lightly and frequently and control snails, slugs, earwigs and aphid. Harvest when head or leaves are good size. Once Lettuce reaches maturity, it goes to seed quickly and the leaves become bitter. The Sunset Climate Zones are “All Zones”.

We are currently growing our Lettuce in both 6 pack and 4 pack flats. Pick some up today and get started growing your own. To see photos, visit our website www.clearwatercolor.com and follow us on Instagram and Facebook @clearwatercolornursery.