Parris Island Romaine Lettuce Starts
Romaine (Parris Island Cos) Lettuce earns a spot with gardeners as the classic romaine.
Its compact, dark green rosette of tall, upright leaves is slightly curly with white hearts and has a crisp, sweet flavor. Slow to bolt. Grows best in full sun, but will tolerate partial shade and even appreciates it in spring in hot climates. Resistant to mosaic.
Final spacing of the plants should be 12″ apart, in rows 18″ apart. For maximum growth, avoid overcrowding. Whether starting indoors or out, you will likely want to transplant your seedlings with the proper spacing for fast, full development.
Romaine plants like cool weather and lots of moisture in rich, well drained soil. Transplanting should only be done in cool, preferably cloudy weather. If the weather is hot and sunny, we recommend putting off transplanting, if possible. If this is not possible, then transplant in the early evening hours. Water thoroughly and every day after, unless it rains, for about a week.
The key to growing crisp, sweet Romaine lettuce, is to get it growing at a fast pace. That means plenty of water, and a healthy dose of fertilizer.
Tip: When transplanting lettuce in hot weather, place some form of sun shade over the plant for a couple of days. Any makeshift shade will do.
Succession planting is a common and useful practice. Plant successive crops for a constant supply of Romaine all season long. Plant small rows or sections of your garden with Romaine every two weeks.
Keep Romaine lettuce plants weeded. This will allow maximum sunlight, moisture and nutrients to reach the plant.
