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Duh_Vinci
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Oak Leaf Lettuce - long keeper!!!

This fall, I've gotten some seeds of Oak Leaf Lettuce...

It was a great producer, very hardy, stood up well to high heat, and frost! About a month ago, as our temperatures started to stay below freezing, I cut down last 2 bunches, brought home and put these in the plastic ziplock bags.

Then - I completely forgot about the lettuce, as I put in the the secondary fridge in mechanical room downstairs...

Today, I had to get some frozen summer veggies from that fridge, and saw the lettuce :shock: Yes, forgot completely about it. Sure few outer leafs turned brown, but after a month, I have this:


[img]https://drphotography.smugmug.com/Garden/2010-Garden/2010oakleaflettuce/765848165_UeaVD-XL.jpg[/img]


Honestly, I'm amazed! A month!!! I guess I know that this one is going back into the garden for sure (along with some new to me early varieties)!

Regards,
D

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rainbowgardener
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Yeah and I have some of that same lettuce in my garden. We had some warm up the last couple days and the snow melted, and voila there is that lettuce sitting there, looking perfect, with new growth!

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Duh_Vinci
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Glad to hear you guys too have positive feedback for this variety! Good, solid performer for all seasons and variety of climates it seems!

Regards,
D

garden5
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How does it tase; is it bitter?

I had a terrible time with my lettuce last year :cry:. It never headed, but grew to about 2 ft. tall. It also got bitter.

I think that this was due mainly to too close spacing and too late planting. Lack of appropriate nutrients may have had something to due with it, also.

I planted some in the fall and, although it did not grow very large (planted too late...again:roll:), it was not bitter.

This variety sounds like it one for me to try.

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Duh_Vinci
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To be honest with you, I didn't find it to be bitter at any stage (heat or cold). It is a loose leaf type, no true head, more like a little bush. And I planted them in a very close spacing too, about 3 per square foot, didn't seem to mind at all...

Regards,
D

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gixxerific
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Dude Score!

Don't you just love finding things you didn't know you had. I'm writing this variety down thanks for the heads up.

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rainbowgardener
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garden5 wrote:How does it tase; is it bitter?

I had a terrible time with my lettuce last year :cry:. It never headed, but grew to about 2 ft. tall. It also got bitter.

I think that this was due mainly to too close spacing and too late planting. Lack of appropriate nutrients may have had something to due with it, also.

I planted some in the fall and, although it did not grow very large (planted too late...again:roll:), it was not bitter.
The oakleaf is very mild, not at all bitter. Your lettuce got bitter because it bolted... Once it stretches out tall like that, it is getting ready to go to seed and it is no longer very edible. Mainly that would have been due to late planting and the weather warming up. Lettuce is a cold weather crop (as witness mine still sitting there in the snow!). Once the weather really warms up, it's over. (The oakleaf I have now was planted as fall crop.)

You might want to think about planting some swiss chard. It isn't lettuce, it's closer to spinach and can be used anywhere you would use spinach, but it is a green that keeps going all summer. My spring planted swiss chard just kept producing right through the first few fall frosts.

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gixxerific
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rainbowgardener wrote:
garden5 wrote:
You might want to think about planting some swiss chard. It isn't lettuce, it's closer to spinach and can be used anywhere you would use spinach, but it is a green that keeps going all summer. My spring planted swiss chard just kept producing right through the first few fall frosts.
I second that I planted some Chard late summer and it just kept going. When the frosts were around the corner I pulled 2 of them and brought inside. Under lights and took somewhat good care of them, they lasted till about 2-3 weeks ago when I allocated them to the compost because I needed the pots they were in. They were still going though, very hardy. I will have a lot of chard this year even up front in my flower gardens since I got the"Bright Lights" variety which is very colorful.

garden5
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Rainbowgardener, thanks for clearing that up about my lettuce. So, it was the heat more than my close spaceing, I kind of though so. Oh, and I had a foot of snow, and after it melted a week later (big thaw:shock:), the plants were a little wilted, but not brown at all!. Lettuce is definitely a cold season crop.

I'm going to give the oakleafe lettuce a try. My leaf lettuce did not bolt as fast as my head lettuce did last year.

I certainly want to go with some swiss chard this year, too. Gix, were the colored chard good, or do you sacrifice taste for beauty?

Thanks, Duh_Vinci, for the great find.

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gixxerific
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garden5 wrote:
I certainly want to go with some swiss chard this year, too. Gix, were the colored chard good, or do you sacrifice taste for beauty?
Oh yeah! Color means nothing to flavor. Chard is awesome too because it grows some pretty large leaves so you can harvest quite a bit from just a few plants. I love it if I had two choices to grow I would grow Swiss chard and Arugula. Though Arugula is actually considered a spice but don't tell my salad. :lol:

garden5
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gixxerific wrote:
garden5 wrote:
I certainly want to go with some swiss chard this year, too. Gix, were the colored chard good, or do you sacrifice taste for beauty?
Oh yeah! Color means nothing to flavor. Chard is awesome too because it grows some pretty large leaves so you can harvest quite a bit from just a few plants. I love it if I had two choices to grow I would grow Swiss chard and Arugula. Though Arugula is actually considered a spice but don't tell my salad. :lol:
Do you eat the stems or just the leaves on the swiss chard?

I'm glad the rainbow chard are good because I've always wanted to grow them.

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Duh_Vinci
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Never planted a chard before, but thank you for suggestions, always good to have summer greens for the salad, will have to stop by the store sometime next week for a packet or two!

And to the lettuce, trying few very early varieties this year, something suitable for the close planting:

Dazzle
Little Gem
New Red Fire
Tom Thumb

All under 35 days, hoping to eat healthier this year, so a salad with every meal this year :lol: If anyone tried these four varieties, please, chime in!

Regards,
D

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Earl K
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I think that I will also try some lettuce this year 8)

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gixxerific
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Earl K wrote:I think that I will also try some lettuce this year 8)
Definitely you should it's so easy to grow, and what is more healthy and satisfying than a fresh garden salad picked 30 min before dinner.

Dude I'm sending you some lettuce seeds for hooking me up earlier. :D



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