Sweet, Crisp, Colorful Lettuce!
Garden Week Seven 5/8/201
Lolo DeVino (Loose-leaf) Lettuce - Heirloom variety from Merlot by Frank Morton. and Tennis Ball (head) Lettuce - grown by Thomas Jefferson in his Monticello Garden, located in Charlottesville, VA
Sweet, Crisp, Colorful Lettuce!
One of the treasures grown in my garden is fresh lettuce. I prefer the loose-leaf varieties which range in color and textures, with many varieties being suitable sautéed or in soup, in salads or on a sandwich.
With the popularity of lettuce, we are seeing more and more varieties in the grocers and markets. Lettuce ranges in color, size and textures; from traditional Iceberg and Romain to Butterhead and Summercrisp varieties.
So, how did lettuce come to be a food staple? The common lettuce, Lactuca sativa, has a long history; being depicted in murals of Min, the Egyptian god of fertility, as far back as 2700 BCE. It is believed that Min consumed a plant similar to the Romain lettuce we find today, as an aphrodisiac. Layfolk used the oils of the seeds for cooking, medicine and as an aid in mummification.
The Greeks later learned the value of lettuce and considered it to aid in digestion and would use lettuce medicinally as a sedative. Lettuce is also mentioned in the death of Adonis, Aphrodite’s lover and came to be associated and presented at funerals; which may have some correlation to the Egyptian mummification uses.
When the Romans were introduced to lettuce, they carried it with them to the far reaches of the then known world. This distribution coupled with time has lent to the development of the many varieties we know and love today.
In the far east, specifically China, lettuce was cultivated to produce more stem than leaf, hardly resembling lettuce as we might find at the local market. The stalks are thick with shoots of leaves from the top. I have never tasted this interesting looking plant, but I am putting it on my to-do list, I hope you will too.
Europe contributed to cultivation of lettuces such as butterhead and crisphead varieties sometime in the 15th century. Until the passage to the America’s, where emigrants carried the seeds to the new world.
Of this we now have four main lettuce varieties:
Romain or Cos Lettuce derives its names from the gardens of Rome’s papal gardens and from the Greek isle of Kos, a major lettuce producing region.
The popular Bibb Lettuce, of the head variety owes its history to Major John “Jack” Bibb of Frankfort, KY on the late 1860’s-1970. Boston and Butter varieties so closely resemble Bibb lettuce, it is difficult to tell them apart.
The most recognizable Crisphead lettuce is probably the Iceberg lettuce. Cultivated by W. Atlee Burpee & Co., in 1894. This very cool-cold weather tolerant lettuce was great for packing and shipping, lending to its popularity. Fantastic on toast, with a tomato, mayo and bacon, Yum!
And, my favorite, the Silasia or loose-leaf varieties, developed in France. Near the end of the 19th Century, Mr. Eugene Davis of Grand-Rapids, Michigan, considered to be the father of forced lettuce, developed a loose-leaf variety, he named “Grand Rapid’s”, said to have put Grand Rapids on the map.
If you haven’t already planted your lettuce, it is not too late. Most lettuce prefer the cooler weather and can become bitter in the heat of summer. You may consider planting lettuce where it will get the afternoon shade. Lettuce that gets hot or thirsty will bolt and go to seed, reducing produce.
Caring for lettuce:
Most lettuce prefer the cooler weather and can become bitter in the heat of summer. Planting and maturing lettuce in cooler weather will prevent rot and disease. Lettuce that gets hot or thirsty will bolt and go to seed, reducing production. You may consider planting lettuce where it will get the afternoon shade.
Elliot Coleman often discusses Oxygen or airflow to plants. He believes as many do that, allowing oxygen to the base of the plant will also prevent rot and disease. Consider plants spacing to allow plants to reach full potential and production.
Time to keep an eye out for those slimy, no good, green leaf eating, critters! If the morning light reveals little munches on your favorite greens, and you find no evidence of other pest, you may have slugs. I’ve used the tried true method of placing shallow dishes, such as pie pans level with the ground and filled with beer, nearly everywhere I have lived. You may also consider diatomaceous earth or other harsh material to cut off the passage to your plants.
