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Red lettuce
Product information
€ 3,89
In Stock
Free delivery from € 30 🇳🇱
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Additional
MM coconut seed-starting mix
€ 4,95
Airpots
€ 5,95
Description
This Makkelijke Moestuin leaf lettuce grows quickly, gives a generous harvest and is slow to bolt. The red-green leaves are tasty, crisp and fairly firm.
Specifications
Sowing time: March to August
Height: 15-25 cm
Contents: 12 clay pellets
Height: 15-25 cm
Contents: 12 clay pellets
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- The app helps you with almost everything you do in your vegetable garden: sowing, tending, and harvesting.
- If something goes wrong, the app tells you what steps to take.
- If that doesn’t work, you can ask us for advice.
- If that still doesn’t help, we’ll look for other solutions together. Until we get it right.
More about our Red lettuce
This tasty leaf lettuce forms large heads with red-green leaves. The leaves are crisp, fairly firm and full of flavour. The head grows quickly, gives a generous harvest and is slow to bolt.
Variety: Trival Batavia RZ
Family: leafy greens
Number per square: 1
Height: 25 cm (front or middle row)
Pre-sowing: March to August
Sowing depth: 1 cm
Germination time: 2 to 8 days at 15 to 18°C
Time to harvest: from 6 to 7 weeks
Sunlight: grows in sun or shade
This variety was specially bred to germinate quickly and grow better than regular lettuce.
This variety was specially bred to germinate quickly and grow better than regular lettuce.
To achieve that, the seeds have been primed, which makes them more fragile. They are protected by a thin clay coating. That makes them more expensive than regular seeds, but each head gives you plenty of lettuce over a long period.
You get 12 clay pellets*, each with 1 seed. Sow them carefully.
You get 12 clay pellets*, each with 1 seed. Sow them carefully.
Some of our seeds come in clay pellets. That is not only very handy when sowing: the seeds also germinate much faster and more reliably than bare seeds.
That is because they are rinsed first and then pre-germinated just a tiny bit. This is called priming. Because that makes the seeds more vulnerable, they get a protective clay coating.
To harvest as much and as quickly as possible from these seeds, we strongly recommend pre-sowing them first and only planting them outside in your garden box once they are small plants.
Note: pre-germinated seeds do not keep as long as ordinary seeds. The shelf life of these pellets is guaranteed until the expiry date on the packet: January of the coming year. So you need to sow them fairly soon. If you store the pellets dry and cool - for example in the fridge - you can keep them viable for another six months or so.
That is because they are rinsed first and then pre-germinated just a tiny bit. This is called priming. Because that makes the seeds more vulnerable, they get a protective clay coating.
To harvest as much and as quickly as possible from these seeds, we strongly recommend pre-sowing them first and only planting them outside in your garden box once they are small plants.
Note: pre-germinated seeds do not keep as long as ordinary seeds. The shelf life of these pellets is guaranteed until the expiry date on the packet: January of the coming year. So you need to sow them fairly soon. If you store the pellets dry and cool - for example in the fridge - you can keep them viable for another six months or so.
What do you need to grow Red lettuce yourself?
Besides the seeds, you need this for starting them indoors:
- MM-Airpots (small size)
- MM seed-starting mix or MM coconut seed-starting mix
- Cling film and elastic bands (only with the traditional MM seed-starting mix, not with the coconut version)
- One label per pot
Once the plant is big enough to plant outside, you need:
- one 30 x 30 cm square
- MM-Mix (or MM coconut mix)
- a spot with at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day
How do you sow and grow Red lettuce?
This lettuce is included in the free Makkelijke Moestuin app. The app explains step by step how to sow, grow and harvest it.
Every vegetable goes through a number of stages - we call them levels. The app tells you exactly what to do at each level and regularly asks you to check whether your plants are ready to move on.
So you do not need to know in advance how to grow Red lettuce successfully. But if you would like to read ahead, you can do that below.
Every vegetable goes through a number of stages - we call them levels. The app tells you exactly what to do at each level and regularly asks you to check whether your plants are ready to move on.
So you do not need to know in advance how to grow Red lettuce successfully. But if you would like to read ahead, you can do that below.
Level 1: Pre-sowing
Red lettuce takes about six to seven weeks to grow from a seed into a plant you can harvest from for the first time. Because the seeds are in clay pellets - and are therefore quite expensive - you want to be sure they germinate well. That is why we always pre-sow them indoors first and only plant the grown seedling in its own square about 4 weeks later.
That way you make the best use of your squares, because something else can grow there during those four weeks.
That way you make the best use of your squares, because something else can grow there during those four weeks.
Pre-sowing works best in small MM-Airpots with MM seed-starting mix. They do not take up much space and get exactly enough nutrition for their first growth.
Levels 2 and 3: Moving outside
As soon as the seedling appears, put the pot in full light, preferably somewhere no warmer than about 16°C. A few days later, the seedling is big enough to go outside. You can put the pot in an empty square or in an MM-mini. Even 9 pots fit in there easily.
In March and April, give it a little extra protection from frost and bad weather if needed. From May onwards, even that is no longer necessary, as long as slugs cannot reach it.
In March and April, give it a little extra protection from frost and bad weather if needed. From May onwards, even that is no longer necessary, as long as slugs cannot reach it.
Level 4: Planting out into its own square
About 4 weeks after sowing, your plant is big enough to plant out into its own square.
Make a hole in the middle of the square and pour in a little water if needed. Then carefully remove the plant from its pot and place it in the hole.
Make a hole in the middle of the square and pour in a little water if needed. Then carefully remove the plant from its pot and place it in the hole.
Level 5: Care in your garden box and the first harvest
Caring for Red lettuce is simple: keep the mix moist.
About 2 weeks later, you can start harvesting the first leaves.
About 2 weeks later, you can start harvesting the first leaves.
You harvest the leaves from this lettuce, not the whole plant at once. Pick some of the outer leaves and leave the centre standing.
Level 6: Keep harvesting
Eventually the head becomes quite large and fills the whole square.
If you keep harvesting the outer leaves - instead of taking the whole plant at once - the plant keeps growing from the inside and you can keep harvesting for quite a few weeks.
If you keep harvesting the outer leaves - instead of taking the whole plant at once - the plant keeps growing from the inside and you can keep harvesting for quite a few weeks.
During the final level, keep harvesting Red lettuce leaves for as long as you still enjoy eating them raw in salads.
This variety is slow to bolt. But because the leaves of younger plants are much tastier and more tender, it is better to harvest them completely much earlier.
Finally, prepare the square or your MM-mini for the next vegetable.
This variety is slow to bolt. But because the leaves of younger plants are much tastier and more tender, it is better to harvest them completely much earlier.
Finally, prepare the square or your MM-mini for the next vegetable.
What do you use Red lettuce for?
The name says it all: you use the leaves as lettuce. They are also delicious in green smoothies or on a sandwich.
The leaves are large, firm and crisp, and stay surprisingly fresh for a long time, even in salad dressing. Pick three of those large leaves from the head and tear them into pieces, and you have a beautiful salad in one go:
The leaves are large, firm and crisp, and stay surprisingly fresh for a long time, even in salad dressing. Pick three of those large leaves from the head and tear them into pieces, and you have a beautiful salad in one go:
Yes. Like other types of lettuce, it contains a fair amount of vitamin A, plus some folate (B11), vitamin C, iron and potassium. It also contains fibre, which supports healthy digestion.
Red lettuce has another advantage too: the pigments that give the leaves their red or purple colour are antioxidants. These can help fight free radicals, reduce inflammation and may support heart health.
Red lettuce has another advantage too: the pigments that give the leaves their red or purple colour are antioxidants. These can help fight free radicals, reduce inflammation and may support heart health.
So, what is stopping you from sowing and growing Red lettuce yourself?
It is a tasty and easy vegetable to grow, you can harvest from it for a long time, and the leaves look fantastic. If you regularly put a fresh young plant in your garden box, you can enjoy delicious leaf lettuce from mid-April through October.
Plus: with our materials and app it is almost impossible to fail.
Good luck!
Plus: with our materials and app it is almost impossible to fail.
Good luck!
