Lettuce varieties abound, and WCS has some golden standards, in my opinion. My pick of the classics are Esmerelda Bibb, Brunia oakleaf, Merlot crisp, the Deertongues and Salad Bowls, and the more recent addition Drunken Woman. But there are masses more to choose from. Part of the reason for this is that lettuce is relatively easy to breed. If left to their own devices, they will bolt and go to seed. Good cross-pollination is easier to ensure than, say, in tomatoes, and an active breeder can achieve three (or more) generations of plants in one year.
I don’t breed lettuces, I just grow and eat them.
Each year, we try to introduce a few more varieties, just to keep things lively. But we’re not going to promote a lettuce that doesn’t perform well here in southwestern BC, and we’re going to steer clear of any with unappealing flavour, susceptibility to disease, or sudden bolting. The short version is that we’re growing out a number of new varieties.
The good people at Kirkland House here in Ladner kindly conceded a couple of raised beds in their vegetable garden for our lettuce trials this spring. It’s not a field test, but it allows us to grow enough to check for consistency and uniformity. So far, the other gardeners – all volunteers – have been friendly and inquisitive. We took the steps of liming the soil early on, and then amending it with well-rotted manure. We also raised seedlings in trays to make the best economical use of transplants (rather than simply sowing seeds, hoping for good conditions, and then thinning).
As usual with trials in new areas, we discovered early on that wild rabbits were going to make the odd appearance. With this cool, damp spring, there was some loss to slugs and woodlice, as well. But the lettuce is now in its prime. We wanted to leave it in place for the big Canada Day event at Kirkland House, and also for the weddings that are booked for this weekend. But harvest and tasting are due any time. Meanwhile, I managed some descriptive images of the new varieties yesterday. As always, you can click on the image to get an enlarged view.
Breen is a compact, red-leaf Romaine. Most of our plants are only 6-8" tall, but very attractive.
Coastal Star is a Romaine we introduced in 2010, but I hadn't grown it, so we added a row. BIG plants!
Follomy is a wide crisphead type. Technically a Batavian variety, its leaves are really crunchy. I did grow this one at home and enjoyed it last night - superb flavour!
I'm not sure how they settled on the name, but Gandhi is a classic round Bibb type, with soft leaves that form a loose head.
Lovelock is more of a traditional French crisphead type, with slightly puckered leaves gilded with bronze.
Rhazes is another red Romaine, but darker in colour - almost as dark as Merlot. I'm waiting for all-red Caeser salads!
This Romaine is called Roxy, and appears to have formed a loose central head. Harvest will reveal more details...
Another French crisphead, this is Sebastiano. The leaves look absolutely succulent.
Spretnak forms small heads, supposedly with blanched interior leaves as though it was a Little Gem iceberg type.
Steamboat is frankly the most attractive lettuce I have ever grown. Absolutely gorgeous heads, with emerald green wrapper leaves.
Finally, Tropicana is another open, crisphead Batavian type. Each plant seems to be perfect somehow.
Thus concludes the part of our 2010 lettuce trial devoted to looks. The real character of each has yet to be discovered. Stay tuned!
I, and everyone at West Coast Seeds, would like to extend our sincere thanks to the devoted staff at Kirkland House, and to have an opportunity to grow food on a plot with such great history. Thanks, folks!