(Lactuca sativa) Eric, from the Willy Wonka factory of lettuce breeding that is Wild Garden Seed, upped our lettuce game at Uprising with his enthusiasm for the crop. Digging through the listings of the national GRIN germplasm database, he found several commercially bred castoffs, that never saw the light of day or were inexplicably dropped from the seed trade. Brilllante is one such variety, somewhat famous for being the source of the gene that confers resistance to verticillium wilt, now widely found in all modern lettuces which display that trait. While we love deep reds in lettuce, we appreciate a good green just as much if not more so. Bright chartreuse green heads grow quite large and remind us quite a bit of an all green version of one of our very favorite lettuces, Grandpa Admires. If left in the field long enough the hearts form a loose head of deliciously folded and crunchy leaves. Why it never made the big time, we’ll never know, but it’s become a keeper in our collection. 55-60 days. AV
Note: Seeds will become dormant if exposed to high temperatures. Lettuce grows best in cooler weather.
PLANTING DEPTH:
1/8-1/4"
SPACING:
12" in rows 15" apart.
EMERGENCE:
2-10 days @ soil temp 68F and lower.
LIGHT:
Full sun to part shade
FERTILITY:
Medium. Prefers well-drained, and evenly moist soil and is sensitive to low pH.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Uneven watering can result in tip burn, the browning of the leaf margins, which is the result of an inability of the plant to move calcium to the growing edge fast enough to meet its growth needs. Consistent, evenly moist soil or calcium amendments can be beneficial if this seems to be a problem.
Hot weather can cause premature bolting. Generally, when the plants begin to stretch upwards (to flower), the leaves become bitter and the eating quality poor.
