Red Romaine Lettuce is a type of romaine that can grow to be 12 inches tall and 10 inches wide. Its long, crisp, red leaves add color to your traditional salad.
Romaine lettuce prefers to grow in cool weather, so you can sow your first seeds directly in the garden as soon as the soil is workable. Lettuce seeds tend to go dormant when the soil temperature exceeds 24°C. Scatter the seeds as evenly as possible in rich, well-drained soil in full sun. Once they have germinated, thin them to a distance of 12 inches apart. You can ensure continuous harvests by sowing new seeds every two weeks.
Lettuce needs moisture to remain tender and sweet. Since its roots are shallow, it's advisable to apply mulch to help retain moisture and control weeds.
Most lettuces produce a second or even a third harvest after being cut. Leaves can be harvested throughout the season until the main stem of the plant begins to elongate, at which point the leaves become bitter. The entire plant can be harvested by cutting the base. Lettuce can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week.
