Cardinale Batavian Lettuce - Organic

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seeds
Lactuca sativa
(48 days) Open pollinated. This alluring wine-red European batavian disappeared from commerce for a while before Frank Morton rescued it. And a worthy rescue it was, for Cardinale is a classic both for baby leaf and full head production. Looks a little like a butterhead-romaine cross, as the open rosettes fold together like a romaine in the center at full maturity. Shiny red leaves on the outside, green in the center, crisp and juicy with some heft. Survived temperatures in the teens in Janine Welsby’s unheated Ohio greenhouse under a double layer of Covertan PRO 19 topped with old bed sheets. OSSI Breeder Royalties.

Supplier Transparency:
? Small seed farmers including Fedco staff
ships year-round
OGThis item is certified organic

2905 Cardinale - Organic

A: 1g
$3.75
B: 4g
$7.50
C: 14g
$18.00
D: 28g
$31.00
E: 112g
$85.00
Shipping

From early May through October 31, items shipping from our garden seeds warehouse ship twice a week, usually Tuesday and Thursday. For quickest turnaround time order online by noon Monday or Wednesday.

Additional Information

Batavian

Also called Summer Crisp or French Crisp, Batavians combine the crispness and heat tolerance of Iceberg with the open habit, sweetness and tenderness of leaf types. Vigorous growth, large stature, great field holding, slow bolting and wonderful flavor make this class an excellent summer harvest choice in the fluctuant northeastern climate. Good hot-weather germination.

Lettuce

  • 700–1100 seeds/g.
  • Days to maturity are from emergence after direct sowing; for transplants, subtract 20 days.

Culture: Direct seed outdoors as soon as ground can be worked and repeat every 2 weeks for continuous supply. Or start indoors in March and at regular intervals thereafter for early transplanted successions. Optimal germination temperature range 40–70° though many varieties won’t germinate in soil temps above 75° and most shut down above 80°. Thin sowings frequently and ruthlessly to a final distance of 1' for full heads. Heavy nitrogen feeders.

Hardy. All save icebergs tolerate heavy frost. Fall and overwintered harvests are becoming standard practice. For summer harvest, select varieties carefully: bolting, bottom rot and tipburn are problems if a variety can’t take the heat! Using shade cloth can keep lettuce tender and sweet longer into summer. Sesquiterpene lactones produced in the latex render lettuce bitter when it bolts.

Saving Seed: Saving lettuce seed is easy! Leave spring-planted lettuce heads to bolt. Flowers will become white tufted seeds. Once dry on stalk, rub seeds off the plant into a paper bag. To ensure true-to-type seed, separate lettuce varieties by 10 feet.

Diseases:

  • BOR: Bottom Rot
  • DM: Downy Mildew
  • LMV: Lettuce Mosaic Virus
  • PM: Powdery Mildew
  • SC: Sclerotinia
  • TB: Tipburn
  • X: Xanthemonas

Pest: Aster Leafhopper (vector for Aster Yellows disease)
Cultural controls: control perennial broadleaf weeds near lettuce plantings, plow lettuce fields immediately after harvest.

Pest: Slug
Cultural controls: avoid mulch or nearby grassy areas.
Material: Sluggo

Disease: Bottom Rot
Cultural controls: rotate with grass-family green manures, plant in well-drained soil or on raised beds, more upright varieties escape infection.

Major Diseases: Downy Mildew, Grey Mold, White Mold
Cultural controls: rotation, reduce duration of leaf wetness, plant parallel to prevailing winds, use wide spacing, control weeds, use well-drained fields in spring and fall.
Material controls: MilStop

Germination Testing

For the latest results of our germination tests, please see the germination page.

Our Seeds are Non-GMO

Non GMO

All of our seeds are non-GMO, and free of neonicotinoids and fungicides. Fedco is one of the original companies to sign the Safe Seed Pledge.