Flame Lettuce – Red Curly Leaf (Lactuca sativa) Organic - Non GMO - Vegetable

Flame Lettuce – Red Curly Leaf (Lactuca sativa) Organic - Non GMO - Vegetable 

Annual

Flame Lettuce is a cool-season annual vegetable. Its fast growth makes it perfect for repeated sowings throughout the cooler parts of the growing season.

Full Sun

Yes grow in full sun to partial shade. During warmer weather, some afternoon shade can help keep the leaves tender and slow down bolting.

Description

Flame Lettuce is a gorgeous red-leaf lettuce prized for its beautifully ruffled, curly foliage and striking colour. The leaves develop rich shades of burgundy, bronze-red and deep crimson over fresh green undertones, creating a spectacular contrast in both the garden and the kitchen.

This is the kind of lettuce that makes even the simplest homegrown salad look beautiful!

Flame Lettuce produces loose, open heads of tender leaves rather than a tightly packed head, making it particularly well suited to cut-and-come-again harvesting. Pick individual outer leaves as you need them and allow the centre of the plant to continue growing.

The young leaves are tender and delicious with a mild, fresh lettuce flavour, making them wonderful for salads, sandwiches, wraps, burgers and colourful garden-to-table dishes.

Its dramatic foliage also makes Flame Lettuce surprisingly ornamental. Plant it along the edges of raised beds, vegetable gardens or containers where its rich red leaves can become part of the garden display.

Like most lettuces, Flame performs beautifully during the cool temperatures of spring and fall. Successive sowings can provide a continuous harvest of fresh leaves throughout the season.

Growing Flame Lettuce From Seed

Flame Lettuce is easy to grow from seed and can be direct sown outdoors or started indoors for an earlier harvest.

For spring crops, sow outdoors as soon as the soil can be worked and temperatures are cool.

Plant seeds approximately ⅛–¼ inch (3–6 mm) deep, covering them only lightly with soil.

Keep the seedbed consistently moist during germination. Lettuce has relatively shallow roots and performs best when moisture remains consistent throughout the growing season.

Thin seedlings as they grow to provide adequate airflow and room for plants to develop.

For baby lettuce, plants can be grown closer together and harvested while the leaves are young and tender.

For a continuous harvest, sow another small batch approximately every 2–3 weeks during suitable weather.

As temperatures become hot, provide some afternoon shade where possible. Hot weather can cause lettuce to bolt, resulting in a taller flower stalk and increasingly bitter leaves.

Plant another crop in late summer as temperatures cool for a beautiful fall harvest.

Plant Type: Annual Vegetable

Botanical Name: Lactuca sativa

Common Name: Flame Lettuce

Lettuce Type: Loose-Leaf / Red Leaf Lettuce

Leaf Colour: Burgundy, Red, Bronze & Green

Leaf Shape: Curly, Ruffled & Loose

Flavour: Mild, fresh & tender

Light: Full Sun to Partial Shade

Soil: Fertile, loose, well-draining soil

Water: Regular and consistent moisture

Growing Season: Spring & Fall / Cool Season

Edible: Yes

Harvest: Baby leaves or mature outer leaves

Garden Uses: Vegetable gardens, raised beds & containers

Kitchen Uses: Salads, sandwiches, wraps, burgers & garnishes

Cut-and-Come-Again Harvesting

Flame Lettuce is an excellent variety for cut-and-come-again harvesting.

Harvest the larger outer leaves while leaving the centre of the plant intact. The plant can continue producing fresh new growth for additional harvests.

For baby greens, individual young leaves can be harvested when they reach the size you prefer.

Succession Planting

For a steady supply of fresh lettuce, sow a new batch approximately every 2–3 weeks while temperatures remain cool.

Plant in spring and again in late summer for fall harvesting.

Stratification

No cold stratification is required.

Flame Lettuce can be planted directly from seed. Lettuce germinates best under cool to moderate conditions, and excessively hot soil can reduce germination.

Harvesting

Harvest tender baby leaves whenever they reach your preferred size.

For mature plants, pick the outer leaves first, allowing the centre to continue producing.

Harvest during the cool morning whenever possible for crisp, fresh leaves with excellent texture and flavour.

Seed Count: 1 gram