What Should I Know About My Variety Of Lettuce (Part 2)?

Do you grow a variety called ‘Loma’?

Do you grow a variety called ‘Marvel of Four Seasons’?

Do you grow a variety called ‘Mottistone’?

Do you grow a variety called ‘Nevada’?

Do you grow a variety called ‘Magenta’?

Do you grow a variety called ‘Flashy Butter Oak’?

Do you grow a variety called ‘Oscarde’?

Do you grow a variety called ‘Lollo Rossa’?

Do you grow a variety called ‘Red Deer Tongue’?

Do you grow a variety called ‘Sunset’?

Do you grow a variety called ‘Waldmann’s Dark Green’?

Do you grow a variety called ‘Merlot’?

Do you grow a variety called ‘Red Sails’?

This loose-leaf Batavian lettuce forms apple-green heads if left to mature, but the frilly, crunchy leaves can also be harvested at 3–6 in (7.5–15 cm). Heat-tolerant, bolt-resistant, and very flavorful, ‘Loma’ is a reliable producer in all but the hottest weather.

Also known as ‘Merveille de Quatre Saisons’, this large, round, butterhead variety is a traditional favorite. It is a very hardy, semi- hearting lettuce that can be grown almost all year round to produce dark green leaves with an attractive brownish-red tinge.

This reliable, new Batavian variety produces upright, wavy, green leaves with red speckling, set around a blanched center. The pretty leaves are excellent for decoration or eating and have a crisp texture. It is slow to bolt and resistant to mildew.

Like most summer crisps, ‘Nevada’ can be harvested as flavorful young leaves, or left to form large, open, crunchy heads of vibrant green. Resistance to mildew, mosaic virus, and tip burn make this slow-bolting variety a good performer in difficult conditions.

A resistance to downy mildew, mosaic virus, bottom rot, and tip burn sets this Batavian-type lettuce apart from similar varieties. Performance and taste are excellent, with red-tinged leaves forming a slow-bolting head with a crispy green heart in 48 days.

This blend of ‘Emerald Oak’ and ‘Flashy Troutback’ produces compact heads of red-speckled, puckered leaves that have a crisp, tender crunch. Leaves can be harvested young for use in salad mixes. The heads mature in 54 days.

This compact oakleaf lettuce is a good choice for fall planting or winter greenhouse production. Full rosettes of attractive, lobed leaves are red on the outside, turning bright green at the tender hearts. ‘Oscarde’ is resistant to a full range of downy mildews.

A very popular, beautiful Italian lettuce with frilled, pale-green leaves that have a crimson edge, this variety has a crisp texture and excellent flavor. The plants are compact and non-hearting and are very easy to grow and can be placed anywhere in the garden.

This widely adaptable heirloom lettuce is a favorite of many gardeners because of its ruggedness and its mild, nutty flavor. ‘Red Deer Tongue’ forms tender rosettes of triangular red-edged leaves that stand up well to both heat and cold.

‘Sunset’ lettuce plants deserve a spot where they can be admired for their good looks as they grow into gorgeous 12-in (30-cm) wide, glowing red heads. Mature heads are slow to bolt, and yield tasty, nice-textured salad greens.

This uniform variety produces frilled, wavy leaves on large, loose heads. Preferred by market growers for its productivity, ‘Waldmann’s Dark Green’ is a good nutritional choice as well, due to the higher than average levels of vitamin A in its dark-colored leaves.

One of the darkest red lettuces, bordering almost on purple, ‘Merlot’ is beautiful in the garden and on the plate, and is high in antioxidants. The upright, frilly-margined leaves can be harvested as babies or left longer so that they form 10-in (25-cm) open heads.

This 1985 All-America Selections award-winner is a popular variety because of its attractiveness and its long harvest period. The soft, buttery, burgundy-tinged green leaves resist bolting and bitterness. ‘Red Sails’ is also a beautiful container choice.

Labeled an oakleaf, ‘Emerald Oak’ has “deer tongue” and butterhead in its lineage, as evidenced by its dense buttery heart. Tidy and compact, the tasty, crunchy, ruffled green heads grow best in cool weather and mature to a size perfect for a salad for two.