Royal oakleaf lettuce is very similar in appearance to standard green oakleaf lettuce but is heat tolerant and does not sour with external weather changes. It can remain uncut for a very long time, which allows it to be collected gradually. The forerunner of modern lettuce comes from Asia Minor. Herodotus wrote that Persian kings ate royal oak lettuce in the 6th century, and it became popular throughout Europe. Thanks to Columbus, this wonderful lettuce spread throughout the North American continent, and now you can find this delicious lettuce in almost every garden.

How to Grow Royal Oakleaf Lettuce from seeds:

• Sowing: Given that lettuce prefers cool weather, sow seeds directly when soil temperatures are at least 35 degrees F. At soil temperatures above 75 degrees F, the seeds will hibernate. For a good harvest, choose rich soil and a sunny location. Sow the seeds in rows 1-2 feet apart, then thin out the young seedlings. To get a consistently fresh crop in regions with cool summers or warm winters, plant a new crop every 2 weeks. Excellent companion plants for salad are onions, cucumbers, and carrots.

• Growing of Royal Oakleaf Lettuce: Maintain a constant moisture level, as the small lettuce roots need to be fed constantly. This will help preserve the freshness and tenderness of the taste. Mulch plants to effectively retain moisture and control weeds.

• How and When to Harvest Royal Oakleaf Lettuce: Harvest the salad in the morning to maximize its crispy sweetness. You can collect a whole head of lettuce, cutting it off just above the soil surface and individual leaves. Harvest lettuce leaves all season until the plant's main stem begins to grow, giving the leaves a bitter taste. Then, you can store the incredibly tender and tasty salad in the refrigerator for about a week.

• Royal Oakleaf Lettuce Seed Saving: When the days get longer, the cold-loving lettuce wilts or raise its stem. To select the best plants for seed, collect seeds from plants that are slow to bear fruit. After the flowering of the stem, pods with seeds are formed. Ripe pods turn light brown and open, so keep an eye on them and shake the stem head into a bag daily. You can cut the entire plant when most of the pods are ripe and hang it upside down to dry completely. Shake out the seeds from the pods, and remove the white "feathers" by rubbing the seed on a fine mesh sieve. Store seeds in a cool, dry placе for 2-3 years.

FAST FACTS

• Latin Name: Lactuca sativa
• Type: Open Pollinated, Cool Season
• USDA Zones: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
• Seeds per Ounce: 20,000
• Planting Method: Direct Sow 
• Sunlight: Full Sun 
• Height: 9 Inches 
• Color: Green