Romaine lettuce Little Gem is an early and fast growing lettuce variety. It forms little, elongated heads with very sweet, tender and deliciously crips leaves. This lettuce is very easy to grow. Very healtly and deliciously flavoured lettuce variety.
Romaine lettuce is very healthy and versatile. Romaine lettuce contains a.o.: vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, B11, C and K. And the minerals: calcium, phosphor, iron, potassium, copper, magnesium, manganese, sodium and zinc. It also contains a lot of fibres, tryptophane and no calories. You can cook, bake, roast, stir-fry, steam, use in casseroles and use Romaine lettuce raw. You can use Romaine lettuce for a very refreshing cold soup. This lettuce variety is delicious in combination with: cheese, eggs, Feta, pinenuts, walnut, hazel-nut, beef, pork, chicken, salmon, tunafisch, onions, potatoes, vinegar, oil, garlic and lemon. And with different other vegetables like: tomato, carrot, cucumber, radish and celery. You can use lettuce in different dishes like salads, stir-fry dishes, casseroles, soups and of course in a Ceasar salad. Non hardy annual.
Indoor sowing/Outdoor sowing under glass: middle of February - end of March
Outdoor sowing: end of March - beginning of June and beginning of July - beginning of August
Germination: 7 - 10 dagen
Germination temp.: 8 - 18 °C
Sowing depth: ½ cm
Plant distance: 20 - 30 cm
Plant position: sunny
Harvest period: middle of May - beginning of August and beginning of September - middle of October
Sow indoors in trays filled with moist potting soil. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil, because lettuce is a light germinator. Keep moist and light. Sow outdoors under glass in loose and moist (potting) soil from the middle of February on a sunny plot with moist and freedraining soil. Keep the soil moist and weedfree. You can harden of your indoor sown plants for 10 -14 days by putting them outside during the day from the beginning of May. Transplant the seedlings outdoors to a sunny plot with moist and freedraining soil from the middle of May, when there's no longer any danger of nightfrost. Keep 20 - 30 cm apart to ensure plenty of room. Sow ever 2 - 3 weeks a small amount of seeds to ensure you can harvest longer.
Sow outdoors from the end of March - beginning of June and from the beginning of July - beginning of August. Sow on a sunny plot with moist and freedraining soil. Keep 20 - 30 cm apart to make sure that the plants have plenty of room for the heads. Sow in rows about 20 - 30 cm apart. Sow in each hole about 3 seeds. Cover the seeds lightly with soil. Thin the seedlings after 3 - 4 weeks to 1 strongest plant per hole.
Sow approx. every 3 weeks a small amount of seeds to ensure a continious harvest of lettuce. Water when the soil is dry and water profusely during dry-spells. Protect your lettuce against snails and slugs and aphids. You can keep Romaine lettuce in the crisper compartment of your fridge for approx 2 - 3 days. Don't wrap the lettuce.