Winter Lettuces

[grahamhobbs]

We have enjoyed a selection of lettuces and salads throughout the winter. All grown in a cold and well ventilated polytunnel.

This year we had several types of lettuces, surprisingly, despite the freezing winter, the non-winter specific varieties did better than the winter ones.
I grew Winter Density, Winter Gem and Rosetta, all varieties bred to grow in winter, all did ok (Rosetta the best) but the leaves are on the thick side.
Merviella de Verano, Quatre Saisons and Rouge Grenobloise, all nice lettuces did much better.

We also grew Mizuna (a great winter salad), American cress, Rocket and Purslane (a magnet and haven for slugs, so won't bother with again).

[Annpan]

Thanks for sharing, I haven't yet delved into the world of winter growing but will do this year. It is good to know which varieties work.

[Odsox]

That's interesting.
I also grow winter lettuce and mine didn't do too well this year, but nothing to do with the cold weather.
Normally I grow Valdor but this winter I grew All Year Round and I cut the last one yesterday. I have a gap now as the next lot, Little Gem, won't be ready for another 10 days or so.
Maybe next winter I will try ordinary varieties then and see how they do here, maybe Tom Thumb as I haven't grown that for many years... that and Density used to be the only winter lettuces.
Which lettuce variety did best then Graham ?

[JillStephens7]

That's interesting.

That's what I thought. I was thinking of trying some winter lettuce varieties but didn't get round to it in the end and the birds finished off all my regular 'leaves' before I could get them under cover. Got the perpetual spinach in and that did well until I forgot to water it

Did they keep going at a reasonable speed or did you need a lot of plants to keep you in leaves?

Jill

[Odsox]

I can't speak for Graham, but my winter lettuces are full grown "proper" lettuces, not the loose leaf cut and come again type.
One lettuce keeps my OH in salads to take to work for lunch for 5 days and I grow about 16 for her to eat between February and April.
Hence my need to have ripe tomatoes in February as well.

[JillStephens7]

Thanks Tony. I've only ever tried growing 'proper' lettuces once when I lived by a river and everything got eaten by snails & slugs.
I have a bit of an 'I can't do that' attitude about them now and also worry about how well they'd keep (our fridge freezes things so that's out).
I forget other people grow real lettuces

[grahamhobbs]

Odsox, sorry for delay in responding, I was hoping to get some photos but just haven't been able to get to the allotment with the camera.

All the varieties I named did well, except Winter Gem and Winter Density which were ok but not as vigorous as the others. In my opinion, flavour and texture wise, these winter varieties including Rosetta are not so good as the others.

I sowed all of them in modules at the end of August, planting out in the polytunnel mid-October. We are not great lettuce eaters December to February, generally prefering the taste of Mizuna, American Cress and Rocket in the cold weather, but they provided more than sufficient leaves each week throughout this time. They are not cut and come again varieties but it is no problem just taking leaves from them, in fact it extends the life of them. They really started to fill out in March and are now pretty fully grown lettuces.

The conclusion I come to is that perhaps these winter varieties will withstand the winter weather outside (assuming you can stop the slugs eating them) but in a polytunnel normal varieties have better flavour and grow perfectly well.

I also grew an endive Bubikopf, which grew well and had a sweeter taste than most endives.