Lettuce
Winter lettuce
Winter lettuce: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
Winter heading lettuce is a heart-forming lettuce selected for its ability to survive the colder season. The name covers a group of varieties suited to overwintering rather than one cultivar with identical characteristics throughout. It belongs to Lactuca sativa, in the aster family. Its main appeal is extending the presence of salad plants in the vegetable garden and providing heads when growth resumes.The plant first forms a low rosette. Outer leaves spread around the centre while the inner leaves come together to make a head. This arrangement distinguishes it from loose-leaf lettuces, whose leaves remain more open. In tender heading types, the heart is generally softer than that of an iceberg lettuce. The size and firmness of the finished head depend on the variety rather than the winter label alone.Foliage comes in different shades of green, and some varieties may have reddish colouring. The general name therefore does not establish…
