Lolla Rosso Darky, Lettuce Seeds

Lolla Rosso Darky Lettuce Seed

Deep-red frills create lush compact looseleaf rosettes
Italian heirloom brings crisp texture and vivid color
Six-to-eight-inch plants fit intensive garden spacing
Harvest young leaves for premium salad mixes

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Key Attributes

Botanical Name

Lactuca sativa

Days to maturity

72 Days

Sun

Partial

Packet

500 Seeds

About Lolla Rosso Darky, Lettuce Seed, Lettuce Seed

Lolla Rossa lettuce is a beautiful Italian heirloom variety originating from the Lolla region near Bergamo, known for its striking deep-red, frilly leaves and crisp texture. Typically forming compact, loose-leaf rosettes about 6 to 8 inches across, it adds vibrant color and visual appeal to salads and garden beds alike. The leaves are tender yet slightly crunchy, offering a mild, slightly bitter flavor with a subtle nutty finish.

Growing details

Planting

Sow Depth

1/8"

Days to Germination

2–10 days

In-row plant spacing

6-12"

Row Spacing

12-18"

Plant profile

Maturity

Spring, Fall

Life Cycle

Annual

Plant Height

12 inches

Growth Habits

Rosette

Type

LOLLO LETTUCE

Seed & variety

Seeds Per Ounce

31,200

Color

Green, Red

Seed Type

Heirloom

Growing Season

Cool-Season Crop

Before Planting

Prepare for Lettuce by selecting a full-sun location in cool weather or light afternoon shade in warmer conditions, with fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil. Work in compost and prepare a fine, level, weed-free seedbed. Plan dependable irrigation and avoid fresh manure or excessive nitrogen immediately before planting.

Planting

Direct sow lettuce as soon as the soil is workable, or start transplants indoors 3–4 weeks earlier. Germination is best in cool soil, generally below 70°F; high temperatures can cause dormancy. Keep the seedbed continuously moist until emergence. Thin after the first true leaves appear and make small succession sowings every 1–2 weeks during suitable weather.

Watering

Maintain consistently moist soil so lettuce leaves remain tender and mild. Water at the root zone whenever the upper soil begins drying, avoiding drought stress, saturation, and frequent wet foliage.

Fertilizer

Apply a light nitrogen-rich feeding after lettuce establishes if growth is pale or slow. Follow soil-test guidance and avoid overfertilizing, which causes tender, weak, or bitter growth.

Harvesting

Harvest outer lettuce leaves once they reach usable size, or cut whole heads when firm and full-sized. Pick during the cool morning for best texture. Harvest promptly before heat causes bolting or bitterness.

Tips

Use succession sowings and temporary shade to extend harvests. Choose heat-tolerant varieties for warm periods, and remove plants promptly when central stems elongate because leaves quickly become bitter.

AVG. Seeding Rate

For baby leaf: 1,000 seeds/16', 1 oz./400', 1 lb./6,400' at 60 seeds/ft.

Disease Resistance Abbreviations

Downy Mildew

Pests & Diseases

Downy mildew, lettuce drop, bottom rot, bacterial soft rot, and mosaic virus can destroy lettuce quickly. Choose resistant varieties and mosaic-indexed seed, rotate beds, and use raised rows where drainage is poor. Remove plants with cottony crown growth or mosaic; harvest sound heads before overmaturity invites decay.

Because lettuce is eaten for its leaves, scout early for aphids, flea beetles, leafminers, slugs, and caterpillars. Exclude pests with insect netting, remove damaged outer leaves, and handpick larger feeders.