Batavia Lettuce Blonde de Paris - Lactuca sativa

Lactuca sativa Batavia 'Blonde de Paris' forms large light green heads. Its crinkled and undulated leaves are very crisp. This variety resists running to seed. Sow from February to June for a harvest 8 to 10 weeks later.

Lettuce is one of the most popular vegetables (with a consumption of 4.2 kilograms per person per year). It is equally appreciated for its freshness, crispness, its taste, and nutritional qualities. It can be consumed raw in salads, but also cooked, to accompany peas, for example.

As the ultimate leafy vegetable, lettuce is an annual plant belonging to the large Asteraceae family. Its Latin name, Lactuca sativa, refers both to the white sap (lactuca) that oozes when it is cut and to the fact that it is cultivated (sativa).

It is an important part of any respectable vegetable garden, and there are so many varieties that it can be cultivated almost all year round. Lettuce cultivation is easy as long as the cultivation calendar for each variety is respected. Its growth is fast, and it thrives in any soil that is rich and remains moist.

Harvest: cut with a knife when it reaches maturity.

Storage: lettuce can be stored for a few days in the refrigerator, but to fully enjoy its freshness, we recommend consuming it immediately after harvesting.

Gardener's tip: during hot summer weather, lettuces exposed to direct sunlight tend to wilt. To prevent this, consider protecting them from intense rays by using overturned crates. Instead of growing summer lettuces in rows, consider growing them at the base of climbing beans, or amidst cucumbers and squashes, whose foliage provides beneficial shade.