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Herbs - Culinary

Lactuca sativa 'Lollo Rossa'

lettuce (leafy) 'Lollo Rossa'

An attractive red lettuce, a leafy biennial usually grown as an annual. It produces a lose head of dark red crinkled frilly leaves, from spring to autumn according to sowing date. The outer leaves can be harvested as a cut-and-come-again lettuce keeping the heart intact to produce more, or it can be left to mature and harvested as a whole lettuce, great for adding colour to your salad bowl

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Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metres
Time to ultimate height
1 year
Ultimate spread
0.1–0.5 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Clay
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Neutral, Alkaline, Acid
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Red
Summer Red
Autumn Red
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

East–facing or South–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H2
Botanical details
Family
Asteraceae
Native to GB / Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Clump forming
Genus

Lactuca can be annuals, biennials, perennials or shrubs, with alternate leaves, milky white sap and daisy-like flowers in white, yellow or blue. The genus includes a wide range of wild plants, as well as species cultivated for their edible leaves (lettuce)

Name status

Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in full sun on moisture-retentive soil. Use cloches or biodegradable horticultural fleece to protect early and late crops. See Lettuce (Grow your own)

Propagation

Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • Patio and container plants
Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to lettuce root aphid, slugs and snails

Diseases

May be susceptible to grey moulds and lettuce downy mildew

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