Tropicana
Tropicana: 52 days to harvest, 7-10 days to germinate, 8-10 inches between plants, pH 6.0-7.5, hardy in zones 2-11. Fruit runs to about 8-10 inches tall, 6-8 inches wide. Give it full sun to partial shade (4-6+ hours) and 1-1.5 inches per week, tolerates some drought water. It will crop in a container.
Sowing
Direct seed in spring through summer. Can be grown year-round in warm climates. Succession plant every 3-4 weeks for continuous harvest.
Cultivation
- Sun
- Full sun to partial shade (4-6+ hours)
- Water
- 1-1.5 inches per week, tolerates some drought
- Soil
- Well-drained soil, adaptable to various conditions
- Soil pH
- 6.0-7.5
- Spacing
- 8-10 inches
- Height
- 6-12 inches
- Season
- Warm season annual
Appearance & flavour
- Colour
- Medium green with some bronze tinting
- Size
- 8-10 inches tall, 6-8 inches wide
- Shape
- Compact romaine-type with upright, slightly cupped leaves
- Flavour
- Sweet, mild, and crisp, maintains flavor in heat
In the kitchen
Fresh salads, Caesar salads, wraps, grilling, warm weather cooking
Pests, disease & resistance
- Pests
- Aphids, whiteflies, thrips
- Diseases
- Downy mildew, bacterial leaf spot
- Resistance
- Corky Root (Intermediate)
Planting calendar by USDA zone
| Zone | Start indoors | Transplant | Direct sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | — | June – July | July – September |
| 2 | — | July – August | — | — |
| 3 | — | June – August | — | — |
| 4 | — | June – July | — | — |
| 5 | — | May – July | — | — |
| 6 | — | May – July | — | — |
| 7 | — | May – June | — | — |
| 8 | — | April – June | — | — |
| 9 | — | March – May | — | — |
| 10 | — | March – April | — | — |
| 11 | — | February – March | — | — |
| 12 | — | — | January – February | February – December |
| 13 | — | — | January – February | February – December |
Companion planting
16 beneficial pairings indexed for this variety, 6 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
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Cultivar facts compiled from public horticultural references including USDA GRIN and NC State Extension. Descriptions are original to this catalogue.
Grown Tropicana?
Post a crop report — day counts, reservoir readings, what worked. Variety-specific logs are the most useful thing on the forum.
Similar varieties
Other lettuce with a comparable time to harvest, so a season that suits Tropicana suits these too.
- Curlesi 52 days
- Bel Fiore 52 days
- Win-Win Choi 52 days
- Salanova Red Butter 50 days
- Mâche (Corn Salad) 50 days
- Australian Yellow Leaf 50 days