Greens, Lettuce
- A Description of Lettuce
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History: The exact ancestor of lettuce is unknown but was probably the wild lettuce "Lactuca serriola". We do know that lettuce is an ancient cultivated plant - Herodatus reported that it was grown as early as 550 BC. By the time of Henry VIII, in 1530, it was prized as a garden vegetable and Gerarde, in his herbal of 1597, describes eight varieties. The ancient Romans discovered a unique upright variety on the Greek island of Cos; they popularized it so much that it became known as "romaine" although many still call it "cos" in honour of its birthplace. Cultivation: Easy to grow. Sow seed 1/4" deep in early spring and thin to 4-6" apart. Continual harvesting encourages new growth. Lettuce is a cool weather crop so sow another crop in late summer for harvesting past heavy frosts. Companions: onions, carrots and radishes.