Tag: lettuce

Lactuca sativa ‘Parris Island Cos’

If you could combine all the good features of modern lettuce cultivars and all the awesome characteristics of heirloom cultivars, you’d get something like ‘Parris Island Cos.’

This cultivar has the tight heads, disease- and bolt-resistance of modern plants, coupled with crisp, sweet leaves, and delicate white hearts of some heirlooms.

The heads grow large, up to a foot tall, but don’t become tough or bitter despite their size.

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This cultivar is resistant to bolting and can tolerate some drought and plenty of heat, all while forming flavorful heads made up of perfectly cupped leaves.

Looking for one of the best romaine options out there? You found it. This guide will explain everything you should know about growing this stellar cultivar.

Here’s what’s on the menu:

Before we get our hands dirty, it helps to know a bit about where this plant comes from, and that’s what we’ll discuss first.

Cultivation and History

‘Parris Island Cos’ is the child of ‘PI 120965’ and ‘Dark Green Cos,’ the latter of which is known for its dark green, sweet, mild leaves that are perfect in Caesar salads.

It was bred by Clemson College’s Agricultural Experiment Station in 1951 in Charleston, South Carolina, to thrive in the heat and humidity of the southern climate; and was released by Ferry Morse in the same year.

It’s a romaine-type that was named for Parris Island in South Carolina, and “cos” is another name for romaine.

Sometimes, this cultivar is just listed as ‘Parris Island.’ Don’t worry if the “cos” is lacking, it’s still the same glorious plant.

Propagation ‘Parris Island Cos’

If you want to start lots of plants, seeds are the way to go. If you just need one, look for a seedling at your local nursery.

But, since they’re so easy to start from seed, might as well go that route. Let’s talk about seed starting.

From Seed

About four weeks before the last predicted frost date, start your seeds indoors. You can also start them indoors in the late summer for growing in the fall.

Fill seed trays or individual four-inch pots with seed starting mix and sow the seeds three inches apart. Or, you can scatter them over the tray with the idea of thinning the seedlings later on. The seeds should be about an eighth of an inch deep.

Place the containers or seed-starting trays in an area that receives a few hours of direct light or bright, indirect light. Keep the soil moist but not wet until they germinate, which should only take a week or so.

When the seedlings are about two inches tall, thin them to about three inches apart.

Once the seedlings are about three or four inches tall and the last predicted frost date has passed, you can transplant them out into the garden. Before you do that, harden the seedlings off. This process is easy but it takes about a week, so you need to plan ahead.

To harden them off, take the seedlings outside for an hour during the morning or early afternoon and set them in the area where you intend to plant. Then, take them back inside.

The next day, add another hour. Keep adding an hour each day over the course of a week. Now the plants are ready to go to their permanent home.

You can also direct sow seeds after the last predicted frost date.

Either broadcast the seeds and remember to thin them after germination, or space your seeds six to 12 inches apart. Keep the soil evenly moist and free from weeds until the plants are established.

From Seedlings

If you start your own seedlings indoors or purchase nursery starts, you’re going to want to get them in the ground or a larger growing container at some point.

When I say a larger container, don’t panic. This cultivar only needs a container that’s about six inches in diameter for each plant. The most important thing is that it has drainage holes.

One of the excellent characteristics of ‘Parris Island Cos’ is that the heads grow extremely compact and upright.

You can really pack them into the garden and grow a lot of plants in a small spot.

Plant them about 12 inches apart, but you can get away with half that if you promise you’ll be watering at the soil level and not on the leaves. Expect slightly smaller heads if you pack them in.

When you’re ready to transplant, amend the soil with some well-rotted compost to improve drainage and water retention, and to add nutrients.

Dig a hole the size of the growing container and gently remove the seedling from its growing pot.

Lower the plant into the hole you made and firm the soil or potting mix around the roots. Water well so the soil is moist but not wet.

If you’re intending to grow your lettuce in containers, use a potting mix formulated for vegetables.

How to Grow ‘Parris Island Cos’

As I mentioned, this cultivar was bred to thrive in the hot, humid climate of coastal South Carolina. That’s not the kind of climate that most lettuces typically thrive in – they normally like cool weather best.

‘Parris Island Cos’ can tolerate drought and heat without bolting. It can even tolerate poor soil, to some degree. Somewhat sandy or clay soil won’t phase it much.

Still, if you want the largest, sweetest, healthiest heads, provide loose, organically-rich soil. I don’t have perfect soil in my garden, and I’m betting you don’t either.

But since lettuce doesn’t have a large root system, you can amend your existing soil pretty easily to make it just right for your ‘Parris Island Cos.’

Dig down six inches deep and a foot wide per plant, remove any rocks and work in the compost. Fill the area back in with the mixed soil.

It’s also easy to grow in a window box, container, or raised bed filled with potting or raised bed soil.

Learn more about how to grow lettuce in containers in our guide.

The plants need at least four hours of direct light per day, though up to eight is better. If you live in an area that gets super hot now and then, even in the spring or fall, you might want to give the plants some afternoon shade.

Regardless of where you grow them, if the temperatures climb above 80°F for any length of time, put an umbrella or shade cloth over the plants and give them an extra dose of water.

Speaking of water, ‘Parris Island Cos’ will grow and taste best if provided with consistent moisture, never letting the soil completely dry out or become too wet.

The soil should always feel like a well-wrung-out sponge. That said, this cultivar will tolerate some drought without compromising flavor or texture too much.

Since you used fresh potting soil or worked in compost to the soil at planting time there is no need for fertilizer.

Growing Tips

• Provide 4 to 8 hours of sun per day.
• Keep the soil consistently moist.
• Shade plants when temperatures climb over 80°F.

Maintenance

Now and then, the outer leaves might develop spots, brown or yellow areas, or become damaged.

Pluck these off before they become a drag on the rest of the plant.

Otherwise, you don’t need to do anything but water and keep an eye out for pests and diseases when growing ‘Parris Island Cos.’

Where to Buy ‘Parris Island Cos’

‘Parris Island Cos’ has long been a favorite of commercial growers because of its uniform heads and quick growth, but this cultivar has also become popular with home growers.

That means you can find it in lots of places where lettuce seeds are sold.

‘Parris Island Cos’

Burpee, for example, sells packs of 1,000 seeds.

Or, if you’re looking for a wider range of quantity options, from small packets to bulk, visit True Leaf Market.

Managing Pests and Disease

‘Parris Island Cos’ is more resistant to diseases than many other cultivars out there.

But rabbits and deer love it just as much as any other lettuce they can get their teeth on. If you have regular bunny or deer visitors, consider growing your plants in containers on a patio or porch.

Or you could cover them completely in a wire cage. That won’t protect them from slugs, though.

Slugs and snails are the other major threat to your lettuce harvest. If they come to visit, use your favorite pellet or other slug control method.

I often grow my lettuce in wall-mounted containers because the slugs in my area are relentless.

’Parris Island Cos’ is a tasty meal for all kinds of pests, resulting in holey leaves, yellowing, and spreading diseases. Read our guide to lettuce pests to learn more about the common bugs that feed on lettuce and how to deal with them.

This cultivar is resistant to mosaic virus. It’s somewhat susceptible to common lettuce diseases like leaf spot, soft rot, damping off, and downy mildew.

If something doesn’t look right with your plants, read our guide to lettuce diseases to identify the problem and learn how to address it.

Harvesting

The whole, mature heads are ready in 70 days, but the young leaves are good to go whenever they reach a size that you like.

The young leaves are delicious, and this cultivar is extremely popular as a baby leaf type. If you allow the heads to mature, they have a mild flavor and perfectly cupped shape that makes them a go-to for stuffing.

Use a pair of clean scissors to clip off leaves as you need them, or use a clean knife to slice off the entire head as close to the soil as you can.

Learn more about how to harvest lettuce in our guide.

Preserving

In 2020, researchers at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service led by geneticist Ivan Simko found that this cultivar keeps better than most other romaine types after harvesting.

I’ve been able to store the heads and leaves for several weeks in the crisper drawer with a desiccant.

I wrap them in a paper towel and put them inside a plastic bag, and they stay fresh for an absurdly long time, compared to other lettuces.

Recipes and Cooking Ideas

Two words: Caesar salad. I have never found another cultivar that works as well in a Caesar salad as ‘Parris Island Cos.’

It doesn’t matter if you like your salad anchovy-heavy (raises hand) like the one from our sister site, Foodal, or prefer a vegetarian option, this lettuce should be the base.

Really, any salad tastes awesome with ‘Parris Island Cos.’ If you like lettuce wraps, it’s also the perfect choice.

Quick Reference Growing Guide

Plant Type:	Annual vegetable	Water Needs:	Moderate
Origins:	Mediterranean region	Tolerance:	Frost, cool temperatures
Hardiness (USDA Zone):	2-11	Maintenance:	Low
Season:	Spring, fall	Soil Type:	Loamy, loose
Exposure:	Full sun to partial shade	Soil pH:	5.8-6.5
Time to Maturity:	70 days	Soil Drainage:	Well-draining
Spacing:	6-12 inches	Companion Planting:	Beets, carrots, dill, kale, onions, Swiss chard
Planting Depth:	1/8 inch (seeds), same depth as nursery container (transplants)	Avoid Planting With:	Brassicas, melons, squash
Height:	12 inches	Family:	Asteraceae
Spread:	6 inches	Genus:	Lactuca
Growth Rate:	Fast	Species:	Sativa
Common Pests and Diseases:	Deer, rabbits; Aphids, beetles, caterpillars, fungus gnats; bottom rot, damping off, downy mildew, and leaf spot	Cultivar:	Parris Island Cos

Enjoy a Trip to the Islands

If you’ve struggled to grow lettuce because the temperatures get too hot in your area, no doubt you’ll be rejoicing now that you’ve found this option.

How do you plan to use the leaves? What’s your favorite recipe? Share with us in the comments section below.

And for more information about growing lettuce in your garden, check out these guides next:

Some plant diseases are worse than others. You can pretty easily dispatch powdery mildew if you catch it early.

But others, like soft rot, have no known cure and often result in a lettuce crop that’s totally inedible.

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Sorry to start out on a downer, but I’m not going to sugarcoat things. Soft rot sucks.

When it attacks, there isn’t a whole lot that can be done and it might consign your homegrown veggies to the garbage bin.

Don’t throw your hands up in despair – though I understand the impulse. There are things you can do to prevent this disease in your garden.

And you also want to make sure your plants don’t have one of the other diseases with similar-looking symptoms that can be treated.

That’s where this guide can help. Coming right up, here’s what we’ll go over:

That salad isn’t going to make itself. Let’s figure out what’s going on with your lettuce!

What Is Soft Rot? 

Soft rot is a disease that infects lettuce and many other species. It’s caused by the bacteria Erwinia persicina, Pectobacterium carotovorum, and P. polaris.

These bacteria live in living and dead plant tissue and soil, and they can be carried on tools, clothing, containers, water, soil, plants, or by insects.

When temperatures are between 65 and 95°F, the pathogens rapidly multiply.

Once temperatures climb above 95°F, or if they dip below 35°F, the bacteria stop reproducing altogether.

The pathogens typically infect a plant through wounds created by pest or mechanical damage, but they can also soak into the stomata, which are the pores of the plant, when carried by water.

In some areas, this is the most destructive disease of commercial lettuce.

And in addition to lettuce, these pathogens can infect other veggie patch plants like cabbage, celery, chilis, tomatoes, potatoes, and squash.

Symptoms

Seeds infected with soft rot will fail to germinate, but it’s impossible to tell whether this was the cause without sending them to your local extension for testing.

At any rate, there’s nothing you can do at that point except take preventative measures next time you sow.

Also, if your seeds fail or your seedlings are symptomatic, toss them out. It’s likely the whole packet is infected.

Soft rot causes seedlings to completely collapse. If you examine the young plant closely, you can usually see extensive rot at the base.

In older plants, this disease causes water-soaked brown spots to form on the leaves, as well as rot in the center of the crown. As it progresses, this can cause the plant to die.

The damage usually starts on the older, outer leaves and eventually makes its way to the center of the plant.

To make matters worse, you might think your greens escaped this dastardly disease, only to find that they start rotting after you’ve harvested.

Soft Rot, Lettuce Drop, or Bottom Rot?

Lettuce drop is a disease that looks extremely similar to soft rot. It causes brown, rotten decay on the leaves and stems, and can also be accompanied by a fetid smell.

In addition, you might also see wilted patches with a cotton-like mold growing on them on the underside of the leaves. It’s this latter symptom that sets lettuce drop apart.

Caused by Sclerotinia minor, symptoms are typically only noted on parts of the plant that are touching the soil.

Bottom rot is often confused for soft rot as well, not because the symptoms look the same but because their names are similar. Bottom rot is caused by Rhizoctonia solani, which lives in the soil and infects numerous species.

On leaves that make contact with the soil, rusty brown spots form along the lower midribs. Stems don’t become symptomatic until the entire plant collapses.

Sure that soft rot is what you’re dealing with? Let’s talk about treating it.

Treatment

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I kid, but there isn’t any effective treatment once your plant is infected with soft rot. It’s one of the reasons this disease is so devastating.

All you can do is pull the plant and dispose of it in a sealed garbage bag to prevent the infection from spreading.

Prevention

To start with, prevention is all about good gardening practices, like only using sterile potting media and always cleaning your pots and tools before using them.

When planting, keep your lettuce well spaced to improve air circulation, and apply straw mulch around the base of the plants to reduce water splashing.

Don’t water on top of the foliage. Make sure you’re watering at the soil level.

Next, do your best to keep pests away as they create openings for the pathogens to enter through. You should also take care when pulling out weeds not to damage your crop.

When harvesting, be super careful not to cause any damage to the foliage. Do your harvesting in the afternoon when the leaves are dry.

After harvest, store your greens between 35 and 39°F in the refrigerator to prevent the bacteria from reproducing if it’s present.

Finally, choosing resistant cultivars to begin with is your best bet at prevention.

Resistant Cultivars

There are many soft rot-resistant cultivars and new ones are coming on the market all the time.

Look for the frilly, red, oak leaf ‘Bacchus,’ the tight heads of the Batavia known as ‘Minetto,’ the ruffled iceberg ‘Empire,’ or the Bibb-type ‘Sylvesta.’

The iceberg ‘Ithica’ is another option, developed by Minotti at Cornell University in the 1960s in an effort to create a cold-hardy, disease-resistant plant that can tolerate poor soil and drought.

It won’t bolt in the summer heat either. No wonder it nabbed the All-America Selections vegetable category award in 1963.

‘Ithica’

Add it to your garden by heading to True Leaf Market. They carry packets of seeds in various sizes.

‘Magenta’ is another resistant cultivar, and it has beautiful, ruffled green and bronze foliage on a summer crisp type.

It’s a popular cultivar in the Pacific Northwest because it can handle nonstop rain for weeks and weeks without succumbing to rot. It’s certainly tougher about the winter rain in the area than I am!

‘Magenta’

Bring home seeds for planting from High Mowing Organic Seeds in quantities ranging from 500 to 500 million.

If loose leaf is your thing, ‘New Red Fire’ is pretty enough to be an ornamental. It has large, ruffled leaves that are green at the base and transition to red at the tops.

Less likely to bolt in the summer than many other cultivars, it resists fungal diseases as well as soft rot.

‘New Red Fire’

Visit True Leaf Market to purchase a two-gram, one-ounce, four-ounce, or one-pound package of seeds.

Banish This Dirty, Rotten Disease

Like I said, soft rot isn’t something you want to encounter. If you’re already dealing with it, my sincere condolences.

But now you’re hopefully armed with the knowledge to avoid it in the future. I know that since I started being more diligent about prevention, I’ve rarely encountered this issue.

If you’re facing this problem now, which symptoms are you seeing? Or maybe you have a favorite resistant cultivar that you’d like to share. Either way, let us know in the comments section below.

I’m hoping that you never have to face this foe again!

Once you’re on the road to happy, healthy, leafy greens, you might want to learn more about growing lettuce. Here are a few guides to get you started:

It can sometimes seem like lettuce and fungal issues go hand-in-hand.

Both these leafy greens and many nasty fungal pathogens love nothing more than moisture and cool temperatures.

If you’re seeing white spots on your lettuce, it’s usually a safe bet that a pathogen has infected your plants.

But it’s not just fungi that can cause white spots on lettuce leaves.

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There’s also a pest that strongly resembles a fungal disease and has fooled more than one experienced gardener into thinking that their crop had some sort of disease, when really it was an infestation.

If you need a refresher about how to grow lettuce, check out our guide.

In this article, we’ll help you narrow down the cause of white spots on your lettuce and figure out how to treat the problem so you can get back to enjoying your favorite salad.

Here’s the lineup:

If you’re seeing spots, you need to act sooner rather than later, so let’s dig right in and look at the three common issues that cause white spotting on lettuce crops.

1. Downy Mildew

Downy mildew has pretty distinct symptoms.

This disease, caused by the water mold (oomycete) Bremia lactucae, appears as yellow or light green angular spots on the top surface of the leaves.

On the undersides, you’ll find blotches and spots of white fluff.

As the disease progresses, the upper lesions turn brown and dry, and if left unchecked, the leaves might die entirely.

It typically starts on the older leaves and rapidly spreads to new growth. If downy mildew takes hold at the seedling stage, the plant will likely die.

The pathogen attacks all species in the Lactuca genus – and a few other genera, too – and thrives in moist, cool conditions. It spreads via water, so rain, high humidity, and irrigation can send it far and wide through your lettuce patch.

Beyond reducing moisture by watering at the soil level and spacing plants appropriately, you can use a preventative fungicide if the conditions in your garden are conducive to the disease – or you have experienced it before.

Otherwise, it’s best to plant resistant cultivars and there are lots to choose from. The following are just a sampling of cultivars resistant to downy mildew.

• ‘Adriana’
• ‘Antonet’
• ‘Australe’
• ‘Auvona’
• ‘Bauer’
• ‘Blend’
• ‘Bluerock’
• ‘Breen’
• ‘Butterhead’
• ‘Carlsbad’
• ‘Cherokee’
• ‘Conversion’
• ‘Edox’
• ‘Elf Ears’

• ‘Frisygo’ 
• ‘Green Star’
• ‘Gondar’
• ‘Intred’
• ‘Milagro’
• ‘Mottistone’
• ‘Optima’
• ‘Powerhouse’
• ‘Red Cross’
• ‘Red Rosie’
• ‘Starfighter’
• ‘Teodore’
• ‘Willow’

Note that resistant doesn’t mean immune so if you have a bad outbreak in your garden, even these may become infected.

By the way, I love ‘Optima.’ It’s one of the few cultivars that I have never, not once, had a problem with. It’s a butterhead type that matures in just 52 days.

‘Optima’

Pick up seeds in a variety of different packet sizes at High Mowing Organic Seeds.

You can learn more about downy mildew and other common lettuce diseases in our guide.

2. Powdery Mildew

It starts out looking like someone splattered patches and spots of flour on the leaves, and before you know it, the powdery growth is coating the entire head.

Even worse, as the disease progresses, the leaves might become deformed, dry up, and turn brown.

If you’re seeing these symptoms, it’s likely that your crop is suffering from powdery mildew, a disease caused by the fungus Golovinomyces cichoracearum.

Powdery mildew is distressingly common, and there are a variety of ways to treat it.

From applications of milk to sophisticated fungicides, there are a number of different treatment options which you can read about in our guide.

3. Mealybugs

Wait, what? We’re talking about white spots on lettuce here, not bugs.

Mealybugs are sap-sucking insects in the family Pseudococcidae, and they could easily fool you into thinking your crops were infected with a disease.

Mealybugs are small, somewhat flat, and they move very slowly. So when you go to check out your plant, it looks like white waxy lumps growing on the foliage – but those aren’t lumps, they’re insects.

They can also be slightly yellow or a grayish color, and they generally like to cluster in hidden areas under the leaves, along the stems, or the middle of a rosette.

We usually know they’re around because we see the insects themselves, but they can also cause stunted growth and yellowing as they suck the life out of your leafy greens.

Read our guide to dealing with mealybugs to learn how to manage these pests.

Out, Damned Spot

Since it’s the leaves of the plant that we eat and not the fruit it produces, it’s all the more devastating when the foliage develops white spots.

Make sure to monitor your garden regularly to watch for the first sign of any of these issues. If you see them, act fast and you can save your crop.

Are you seeing spots? Which of these dastardly foes are you facing? Are you having trouble figuring things out? Let us know in the comments section blow and we’ll try to help.

And for more information about growing lettuce in your garden, we have a few other guides that you might want to check out next:

Lactuca sativa ‘Winter Density’

Unless you frequently experiment with different lettuce varieties, it can be easy to think that there isn’t that much difference between them.

But then you bite into ‘Winter Density,’ and it’s like opening the door to a hidden world.

‘Winter Density’ has a juicy, crisp texture and a sweet flavor that stands out from your common store-bought romaine.

Plus, it’s so adaptable and easy to grow that you can pop some seeds in the ground and basically forget about it until it’s time to enjoy the leaves.

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.

If you’ve grown lettuce before, then you know the routine – if not, be sure to check out our guide to growing lettuce for all the basics. ‘Winter Density’ doesn’t require any special care – or much care at all.

Coming up, this guide will cover everything you need to know, including:

Cultivation and History

No one is sure exactly where this fantastic cultivar came from, though we know it was bred in the 1800s in England.

It was introduced to France and became wildly popular there in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

‘Winter Density’ is a cross between a butterhead and a romaine lettuce, with eight-inch-tall heads that mature in about 55 to 65 days.

It has an upright growth habit and a dense heart. It is tolerant of frost and will produce nicely even in partial sun. It won’t bolt in moderate heat or a freeze, either.

You may also see it marketed as ‘Craquerelle du Midi’ or ‘Craquante D’Avignon.’

After harvest, the heads can last up to a week when stored properly, which is longer than most lettuce cultivars.

‘Winter Density’ Propagation

Lettuce should be planted directly outdoors in the spring, or in the fall when the weather is cool, but there are still enough freeze-free days predicted in the forecast for the plants to mature.

You can generally start harvesting your ‘Winter Density’ in around 55 days, so plan accordingly.

This lettuce grows compact and upright, so you can squeeze quite a few into a small area.

From Seed

You can choose to direct-sow ‘Winter Density’ seed into the garden or if you want to get a head start, you can start seeds indoors in containers for transplanting.

To direct sow seeds, prepare your garden bed by working in plenty of well-rotted compost.

I think of compost as the do-it-all soil amendment. It aids water retention, adds nutrients, and improves drainage. Amending with compost can make sandy soil more water-retentive and improve drainage in clay.

Sow the seeds about four inches apart. Either place them on the top of the soil or just cover them with an eighth of an inch of soil. The seeds need light to germinate, so don’t bury them too deep.

The challenge is to keep the seeds moist while you wait for them to germinate. When seeds sit on the top of the soil, they tend to dry out quickly. In the absence of rain, make sure to keep the soil evenly moist.

If you wish to start seeds indoors, fill a seed tray with a seed-starting medium, and sow the seeds on the surface of the medium, and keep it moist. You may need to mist them once or twice a day to maintain sufficient moisture.

The seeds need about six hours or more of light per day, so provide supplemental lighting if you don’t have a spot with enough light for your indoor seeds.

You can move the seedlings outdoors when they have at least two true leaves and as soon as the soil can be worked.

‘Winter Density’ doesn’t mind a little frost, but the soil can’t be too soggy and wet. Before you transplant, harden the seedlings off a bit.

Hardening off is the process of gradually exposing the plants to the growing conditions outdoors so they aren’t shocked by the transition from the cozy indoor environment to the outside world.

Transplanting

Transplanting ‘Winter Density’ seedlings started indoors or purchased from a nursery is pretty straightforward.

Prepare the ground as described above, then dig holes the same depth and width as the containers the plants are currently growing in, spacing them four inches apart.

Gently remove each lettuce seedling from its container and carefully place it in the hole. Firm the soil up around it and water the soil well.

Keep the ground moist but not waterlogged as the lettuce plants grow.

How to Grow ‘Winter Density’ Lettuce

‘Winter Density’ does best in full sun, though afternoon shade is fine as well.

In fact, if you live in a region that can get a surprise hot spell during the fall or spring, a little afternoon shade can be a good thing. I’ve been known to put umbrellas over my plants during unexpected heatwaves.

It’s important to keep the soil moist and cool. While ‘Winter Density’ won’t usually bolt in warm weather, heat can make the leaves bitter.

Any lettuce will bolt in too much heat, since they’re cool-weather plants, but this cultivar is a bit more tolerant to warmth than many other varieties.

Protecting the roots with mulch can help prevent bitterness and bolting. I like to heap some straw around my lettuce plants to keep the roots cool and help the soil retain moisture.

Try to keep the soil moist but not soaking wet. If the soil is soggy, it will lead to problems like root rot. Allowing it to dry out can cause stunted growth and tough, bitter leaves.

You can tell if you have the right amount of moisture by sticking your finger in the soil. It should feel like a well-wrung-out sponge all the way down.

When you add moisture, be sure to water at soil level and try not to splash water on the leaves. You might want to use a soaker hose, which is ideal for irrigating lettuce.

If you worked in plenty of compost at planting time, then there is no need to add additional fertilizer.

Because of its compact growth habit, this cultivar also grows well in container gardens or in spots where you don’t have a ton of room.

You can learn more about growing lettuce in containers in our guide.

Growing Tips

• Plant in full sun or partial afternoon shade.
• Amend the soil with compost at planting time.
• Keep the soil consistently moist.

Maintenance

Keep weeds far away, especially while your plants are young. Weeds compete for water and nutrients and can smother seedlings. They also act as hosts to pests and disease.

And then there are the dreaded slugs and snails. By far, these are the most common pests I face each year.

I use pellets to control them, but if you want some excellent tips and other management methods, visit our guide.

I find that once my plants get past the seedling stage visiting pests won’t bother them that much. If you want to avoid the whole problem altogether, use floating row covers.

‘Winter Density’ is resistant to most fungal diseases, but it’s not immune to anything. Visit our guide to lettuce diseases to learn what to watch for.

Bacterial leaf spot, damping off, downy mildew, and lettuce mosaic virus are the major issues it’s possible to encounter.

Harvesting

Starting at about 55 days, you can harvest the heads as needed.

You can leave the plants in the garden as long as they don’t start to bolt, so it’s best to harvest when you’re ready to eat them and not sooner.

While the heads store well in the refrigerator for over a week, they’ll last even longer in the garden.

The easiest way to harvest is to take a sharp knife and cut the plant at its base, as close to the soil as you can.

When I need to harvest several heads and I know I won’t be able to eat them all at once, such as when a heatwave or heavy snow is coming, I will dig down and take up some of the roots with the plant.

Having some roots attached keeps the head fresher for longer.

Preserving

Wrap the entire head in a paper towel or cotton cloth and store it in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.

If you harvested the heads with some roots attached, wrap these in a wet paper towel.

The head should last for a week to ten days without the roots, and up to two weeks with the roots intact.