Red Salad Bowl Leaf Lettuce , Vegetable Seeds ! Caribbeangardenseed

• 500 Seeds Packet !
• ORGANIC Non GMO
• approximately 35,000 Seeds per oz

Excellent For baby leaf growers and can be cut for baby leaves in 28 days. Full size in 51 to 58 days
Salad Bowl is an ideal variety for the home garden. It forms large, lime-green rosettes of delicate, tender leaves. This variety has relatively good heat tolerance and does not get bitter in hot weather. Baby leaves ready for harvest in 28 days, full size in 49-60 days. Red Salad Bowl is a long-standing, slow-to-bolt and early maturing lettuce that grows well all season and can be harvested over period of time. Its maroon-red, deeply cut and finely divided leaves are crisp and delicious and make an eye-catching addition mixed with green lettuce.

Sowing: Lettuce grows well in cool weather, so the first crop can be direct sown when the soil temperature reaches at least 35 degrees F, or as soon as the soil can be worked. If the soil temperature rises above 75 degrees F, red salad bowl oak leaf lettuce seeds become dormant. Direct sow the seed in rich soil and full sun, spreading them as thinly as possible in rows 1-2′ apart; when the seedlings begin to grow, thin them to a distance of 6-8″. Succession crops can be grown for fresh lettuce all season in areas with cool summers or warm winters; this is accomplished by planting a new crop every 2 weeks. For companion planting benefits, grow red salad bowl oak leaf lettuce seeds with onions, cucumbers, or carrots.

Growing: Since lettuce has very shallow roots, it needs adequate moisture in order to stay tender and sweet; keep the soil evenly moist. Applying mulch helps conserve moisture and control weeds.

Harvesting: Lettuce retains its crisp sweetness best when harvested in the morning. For microgreens, cut the entire plant above the surface of the soil as soon as it reaches a height of 2-3″. Most types of lettuce will produce a second or even third crop after being cut, if the weather stays temperate. Leaves of lettuce can be gathered all season until the main stem of the plant starts to grow, at which time the leaves will grow bitter. To harvest the entire plant when mature, cut it just above the surface of the soil; lettuce tastes best when fresh, but keeps in the refrigerator for about a week.

Seed Saving: As the days of summer begin to lengthen, the lettuce will bolt, or send up a stalk. To avoid selecting negative traits, gather seed from the plants that are slow to bolt. After the stalk flowers and produces pods, the pods will turn light brown and split open; in order to prevent seed loss, shake the head of the stalk into a bag every day. Alternatively, some seed savers remove the entire plant when most of the pods are ready for harvest, and hang it upside down to dry in a protected location. Shake the seeds from the pods or crush the pods in your hands. The seed will have white “feathers” on them that can be removed by rubbing the seed on a fine mesh screen. Store red salad bowl oak leaf lettuce seeds in a cool, dry place for 2-3 years.