Lattuga from Italy, an Italian Beauty

The name of this lettuce is Quattro Stagioni and the seeds are from a company called The Taste of Italy.

Thompson & Morgan also markets these seeds, and they write:

"A 'butterhead' variety with soft round, medium sized hearts for sowing and harvesting throughout the spring and summer. The outer leaves and heart show an attractive bronzed-red colour."

I happened to wander into a local nursery supply to see if they had any unusual seeds, and came across these seeds on sale for half off. I purchased a few packs to test, and I think I got a great bargain. There are 2,000 seeds in a package, and they cost me about a dollar and a half a pack.

Germination took about 48 hours and the plants grew rapidly in the ebb and flow system. I think the color would be much more intense if they had been grown under natural light in the greenhouse.

On another topic, I am beginning to think the low wattage LED is not suitable to grow plants to completion. It does OK germinating seeds, however, vegetative growth seems very leggy. I will let it go for another week before I make a definite conclusion though.

Another observation I would like to share is that, in my opinion, the drip ring system is not appropriate for use indoors. I am noticing that the system bubbles, and the bursting bubbles create a mist of nutrients that can stain the surrounding area. Used in a basement area, or grow room, that might be acceptable, but dried nutrient can be difficult to remove if it settles on wood surfaces.