Red Leaf Lettuce
Red Leaf Lettuce is a loose, ruffled leaves forming an open rosette lettuce with fruit around 6-8 inch rosettes. Ready from roughly day 50. Germination takes 7-10 days. Space 6-8 inches apart at pH 6.0-7.0. Full sun to partial shade (4-6+ hours). It will crop in a container.
Sowing
Direct sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in early spring or late summer. Succession plant every 2-3 weeks for continuous harvest.
Cultivation
- Sun
- Full sun to partial shade (4-6+ hours)
- Water
- 1 inch per week, consistent moisture
- Soil
- Well-drained, fertile soil rich in organic matter
- Soil pH
- 6.0-7.0
- Spacing
- 6-8 inches
- Height
- 1-5 feet
- Season
- Warm season annual
Appearance & flavour
- Colour
- Green with bronze-red leaf edges
- Size
- 6-8 inch rosettes
- Shape
- Loose, ruffled leaves forming an open rosette
- Flavour
- Mild, sweet, and tender with no bitterness
In the kitchen
Fresh salads, garnish, sandwiches, wraps. Excellent for cut-and-come-again harvesting.
Pests, disease & resistance
- Pests
- Aphids, slugs, flea beetles, cutworms
- Diseases
- Downy mildew, bottom rot, tipburn, lettuce mosaic virus
- Resistance
- Good resistance to bolting in cool weather. Moderate downy mildew tolerance.
Planting calendar by USDA zone
| Zone | Start indoors | Transplant | Direct sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | — | June – July | July – September |
| 2 | — | — | May – July | July – September |
| 3 | — | — | May – June | June – October |
| 4 | — | — | April – June | June – October |
| 5 | — | — | April – May | June – November |
| 6 | — | — | April – May | May – November |
| 7 | — | — | March – May | May – November |
| 8 | — | — | March – April | April – December |
| 9 | — | — | February – March | March – December |
| 10 | — | — | January – March | March – December |
| 11 | — | — | January – February | February – December |
| 12 | — | — | January – February | February – December |
| 13 | — | — | January – February | February – December |
Companion planting
8 beneficial pairings indexed for this variety, 3 to avoid.
Avoid
Nutrition (per 100 g)
- Protein (g)
- 0.742
- Fat (g)
- 0.0738
- Carbohydrate (g)
- 3.37
- Vitamin K (µg)
- 20.5
- Vitamin B6 (mg)
- 0.0401
- Calcium (mg)
- 14.2
- Iron (mg)
- 0.0332
- Magnesium (mg)
- 6.31
- Phosphorus (mg)
- 19.2
- Potassium (mg)
- 139
- Zinc (mg)
- 0.173
Where to buy seed and equipment
Some links are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Cultivar facts compiled from public horticultural references including USDA GRIN and NC State Extension. Descriptions are original to this catalogue.
Grown Red Leaf Lettuce?
Post a crop report — day counts, reservoir readings, what worked. Variety-specific logs are the most useful thing on the forum.