Merlot Looseleaf Lettuce - Organic

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seeds
Lactuca sativa
(32 days baby, 60 mature) Open pollinated. William Woys Weaver correctly predicted that this lettuce would become a classic. Always a standout in our trials, its intense burgundy color the richest we have ever seen. The Dutch company who bred it named it Galactic, but Cook’s Garden outdid them by calling it Merlot. This merlot adds as much to your baby salad mix as a good wine adds to your dinner, providing color, excitement and full-bodied flavor. Slow to grow, slow to bolt, plants never achieve much size or density, but are ideal for the baby-leaf trade. Not for mature-head production, so may be spaced more closely than other varieties. According to Mountain Dell Farms (growing at 1400' in the Catskills), can stand outside temperatures to 14° under a double layer of row cover. Showed good resistance to bottom rot in challenging wet Julys. Germinates poorly in warm temperatures. Also resistant to X, DM, SC and TB. Cold-hardy.

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OGThis item is certified organic

2790 Merlot - Organic

A: 1g
$3.35
B: 4g
$6.25
C: 14g
$13.00
D: 28g
$23.00
E: 112g
$59.00
K: 448g
$200.00
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

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.