Lettuce - Black-Seeded Simpson

DESCRIPTION

Often called the most tender buttercrunch lettuce ever bred, the Simpson is a soft and sweet heirloom, popular in Australia for over 100 years. With large, frilly, yellow-green leaves, it's a great loose leaf variety that can be harvested over a period of time, and resists early flowering in warm weather.

POT CARE AND PLANTING

Lettuce is easy to care for in a pot - transplant into a larger pot or a garden bed within 7 days. Soil level should be 1mm below the start of the lowest leaves.

WATERING

Lettuce is a medium water consumer - water it an average amount once per day (early morning or late afternoon is best in summer - water twice a day during the hottest months).

SUN EXPOSURE

Simpson can take around half a day of direct sun. Avoid letting the plant get too hot and thirsty, as this will cause it to go to flower (or "bolt") and the leaves to become bitter - this variety is forgiving though, while you practice. I recommend planting it near an East or West facing fence or wall. Too little sun will make the lettuce go really yellow - if that happens, you can easily move it.

COMPANION PLANTING

This lettuce isn’t going to get that big - maybe 25cm wide, and just as tall. It will grow best close to everything else, and can benefit from the shade of larger plants to prolong the time to flowering.

HARVESTING AND EATING

It's up to you when you eat this lettuce! If left undisturbed for a couple of months it will form a big loose crown that can be cut off at ground level and used to make a large salad (this variety won't keep that long once it's been cut off). The roots if left in the ground will go back to producing delicate baby lettuce leaves. Alternatively, you can harvest the leaves whenever you want, and enjoy them the same way, or use them on sandwiches. Just be sure to leave some leaves on the plant to keep it healthy. These leaves are said to be unmatched, as far as how sweet and tasty they are in a salad.

SEED SAVING AND PROPAGATION

If you don't pull the roots out before the end of the season, eventually a flower spike will form, bearing a cluster of yellow flowers. When you start to see them open a second time, they'll have fluffy winged seeds, since they're related to dandelions. Pick these flowers individually, or cut the whole spike off on a day when it's looking really fluffy, and dry them whole in a paper bag. Break up the dried flowers and discard the larger pieces of material - these seeds will be good for at least 3 years. You can re-sow your own crop right away, or save your lettuce seeds over the winter in something airtight. They're quick and easy to germinate - simply cover with about 3mm of soil and water daily, when daytime temperatures are above about 12 degrees.