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Lettucology™ - Urban Farmer's Guide

Home > Gardener's Guide > Lettucology

There are four basic types of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) that offer a number of great varieties that are sure to satisfy all palates. The most common are green colored leaf varieties which are followed by may red and burgundy colored varieties. Some varieties form compact heads while others don't. Below is a list of the four basic groups and our favorites of each.

Crisphead: This type is also know widely as the "iceberg" lettuces. This type forms a crisp, solid head when mature, with white, crunchy, densely packed inner leaves. Crispheads usually take 70 days to reach maturity in most locations. An exceptional crisphead lettuce is 'Summertime' a wavy, dark green lettuce that matures in 70 days.

Loose Heads: Loose head lettuce features green or red leaves, that have a smooth outter wall formed around more loose, white leaves. Loose heads usually take 60 days to reach maturity. If looking for a tasty loose head try 'Buttercrunch' a thick crumpled, dark green lettuce that is a favorite of most gardeners and matures in only 65 days.

Loose Leaf: This type of lettuce will not form a solid head but will grow long loose leaves that are best harvested by picking off the outer, mature leaves, allowing new leaves to continue their growth. One of our favorites is the 'Oak Leaf' a smooth lobed, medium green lettuce that matures fast in only 50 days.

Romaine: Romaine lettuce grows tall, upright heads with long, thick green or red leaves. Romaine leaves tend to have solid, thick middle veins in the center of their leaves. This type usually matures in at least 70 days. A tasty romaine lettuce is the 'Rouge D Hiver', a broad and flat lettuce with bronze to dark red color. Matures in 60-65 days from planting.