Red-green leaf lettuce: sowing and growing
Want to sow and grow red-green leaf lettuce yourself? This tasty lettuce grows quickly and forms a large head with firm, crisp red-green leaves.
Keep picking the outer leaves and leave the centre intact. The plant will continue growing, giving you fresh leaves for weeks.
Keep picking the outer leaves and leave the centre intact. The plant will continue growing, giving you fresh leaves for weeks.
What is red-green leaf lettuce?
Red-green leaf lettuce is a firm Batavia-type lettuce with large green leaves edged in reddish purple. The leaves are crisp, full of flavour and stay fresh for a long time.
Instead of harvesting the whole head at once, pick a few outer leaves at a time. Leave the centre intact and it will keep producing new leaves.
Instead of harvesting the whole head at once, pick a few outer leaves at a time. Leave the centre intact and it will keep producing new leaves.
Is red-green leaf lettuce nutritious?
Yes. Like other lettuces, it contains a good amount of vitamin A, as well as some folate, vitamin C, iron, potassium and fibre to support healthy digestion.
Red lettuce has an extra benefit: the pigments that give the leaves their red or purple colour are antioxidants. They can help combat free radicals, reduce inflammation and may support heart health.
Red lettuce has an extra benefit: the pigments that give the leaves their red or purple colour are antioxidants. They can help combat free radicals, reduce inflammation and may support heart health.
More about our red-green leaf lettuce
This tasty leaf lettuce forms large heads with red-green leaves. The leaves are crisp, fairly firm and full of flavour. The head grows quickly, provides a generous harvest and is slow to bolt.
Variety: Trival Batavia RZ
Family: leafy vegetable
Plants per square: 1
Height: 25 cm (front or middle row)
Start indoors briefly: March through August
Sowing depth: 1 cm
Germination: 2 to 8 days at 15 to 18°C
Time to harvest: from 6 to 7 weeks
Sunlight: grows in sun or shade
This variety was specially bred to germinate quickly and grow better than ordinary lettuce.
This variety was specially bred to germinate quickly and grow better than ordinary lettuce.
The seeds are primed, which makes them more fragile, so they are protected by a thin clay coating. That makes them more expensive than ordinary seeds, but each head gives you plenty of lettuce over a long period.
You get 12 clay pellets, each containing 1 seed. Sow them carefully.
You get 12 clay pellets, each containing 1 seed. Sow them carefully.
Some of our seeds come in clay pellets. That is not only very handy when sowing: the seeds also germinate much faster and more reliably than bare seeds.
That is because they are rinsed first and then pre-germinated just a tiny bit. This is called priming. Because that makes the seeds more vulnerable, they get a protective clay coating.
To harvest as much and as quickly as possible from these seeds, we strongly recommend pre-sowing them first and only planting them outside in your garden box once they are small plants.
Note: pre-germinated seeds do not keep as long as ordinary seeds. The shelf life of these pellets is guaranteed until the expiry date on the packet: January of the coming year. So you need to sow them fairly soon. If you store the pellets dry and cool - for example in the fridge - you can keep them viable for another six months or so.
That is because they are rinsed first and then pre-germinated just a tiny bit. This is called priming. Because that makes the seeds more vulnerable, they get a protective clay coating.
To harvest as much and as quickly as possible from these seeds, we strongly recommend pre-sowing them first and only planting them outside in your garden box once they are small plants.
Note: pre-germinated seeds do not keep as long as ordinary seeds. The shelf life of these pellets is guaranteed until the expiry date on the packet: January of the coming year. So you need to sow them fairly soon. If you store the pellets dry and cool - for example in the fridge - you can keep them viable for another six months or so.
What do you need to grow red-green leaf lettuce?
Besides the seeds, you need the following for starting indoors:
- MM-Airpots (small size)
- MM seed-starting mix or Makkelijke Voorzaaigrond (coco coir seed-starting mix)
- cling film and elastic bands (only with the traditional MM seed-starting mix, not with coco coir)
- one label per pot
Once the plant is big enough to plant outside, you need:
- one 30 x 30 cm square
- Makkelijke Moestuingrond or MM-Mix
- a spot with at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day
How do you sow and grow red-green leaf lettuce?
This leaf lettuce is included in the free Makkelijke Moestuin app. It explains step by step how to sow, grow and harvest it.
Every vegetable goes through several stages, which we call levels. The app tells you exactly what to do at each level and regularly asks you to check whether your plants are ready for the next one.
You do not need to know how to grow red-green leaf lettuce before you start. But if you would like to read ahead, the whole process is explained below.
Every vegetable goes through several stages, which we call levels. The app tells you exactly what to do at each level and regularly asks you to check whether your plants are ready for the next one.
You do not need to know how to grow red-green leaf lettuce before you start. But if you would like to read ahead, the whole process is explained below.
Level 1: Starting red-green leaf lettuce indoors
Red-green leaf lettuce takes about six to seven weeks to grow from a seed into a plant you can harvest from. Because the seeds come in clay pellets and are fairly expensive, you want to be sure they germinate properly.
Start the plant indoors, move it outside and transplant it into its own square about 4 weeks later. This also lets you use the square for something else in the meantime.
Starting indoors works best in small MM-Airpots with Makkelijke Voorzaaigrond (coco coir seed-starting mix). The pots take up little space and give the seedling what it needs for its initial growth.
Start the plant indoors, move it outside and transplant it into its own square about 4 weeks later. This also lets you use the square for something else in the meantime.
Starting indoors works best in small MM-Airpots with Makkelijke Voorzaaigrond (coco coir seed-starting mix). The pots take up little space and give the seedling what it needs for its initial growth.
Levels 2 and 3: Moving outside
As soon as the seedling appears, put the pot in full light, preferably somewhere no warmer than about 16°C. A few days later, the seedling is big enough to go outside. You can put the pot in an empty square or in an MM-mini. Even 9 pots fit in there easily.
In March and April, give it a little extra protection from frost and bad weather if needed. From May onwards, even that is no longer necessary, as long as slugs cannot reach it.
In March and April, give it a little extra protection from frost and bad weather if needed. From May onwards, even that is no longer necessary, as long as slugs cannot reach it.
Level 4: Planting it in its own square
About 4 weeks after sowing, your plant is big enough to plant out into its own square.
Make a hole in the middle of the square and pour in a little water if needed. Then carefully remove the plant from its pot and place it in the hole.
Make a hole in the middle of the square and pour in a little water if needed. Then carefully remove the plant from its pot and place it in the hole.
Level 5: Care and the first harvest
Caring for red-green leaf lettuce is simple: just keep the mix moist.
About 2 weeks later, you can start harvesting the first leaves.
About 2 weeks later, you can start harvesting the first leaves.
You harvest the leaves from this lettuce, not the whole plant at once. Pick some of the outer leaves and leave the centre standing.
Level 6: Keep harvesting
Eventually the head becomes quite large and fills the whole square.
If you keep harvesting the outer leaves - instead of taking the whole plant at once - the plant keeps growing from the inside and you can keep harvesting for quite a few weeks.
If you keep harvesting the outer leaves - instead of taking the whole plant at once - the plant keeps growing from the inside and you can keep harvesting for quite a few weeks.
During the final level, keep harvesting Red lettuce leaves for as long as you still enjoy eating them raw in salads.
This variety is slow to bolt. But because the leaves of younger plants are much tastier and more tender, it is better to harvest them completely much earlier.
Finally, prepare the square or your MM-mini for the next vegetable.
This variety is slow to bolt. But because the leaves of younger plants are much tastier and more tender, it is better to harvest them completely much earlier.
Finally, prepare the square or your MM-mini for the next vegetable.
What can you use red-green leaf lettuce for?
As the name suggests, you use the leaves as lettuce. They are also delicious in green smoothies or on a sandwich.
The leaves are large, firm and crisp, and stay surprisingly fresh for a long time, even in salad dressing.
Pick three large leaves from the head and tear them into pieces, and you have enough for a beautiful salad:
The leaves are large, firm and crisp, and stay surprisingly fresh for a long time, even in salad dressing.
Pick three large leaves from the head and tear them into pieces, and you have enough for a beautiful salad:
So, why not sow and grow red-green leaf lettuce yourself?
It is tasty and easy to grow, you can harvest it for a long time, and the leaves look fantastic. Add a fresh young plant to your garden box regularly and you can enjoy delicious leaf lettuce from mid-April through October.
Plus, with our materials and app it is almost impossible to fail 😀
Good luck!
Plus, with our materials and app it is almost impossible to fail 😀
Good luck!
