Fresh Lettuce despite the freeze!

This past Fall I planted a row of lettuce in our garden.  I tried a variety this year that is the best I've ever tried.  I ordered a Salad Blend from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds called Rocky Top Lettuce Mix.  It has a great mix of "sweet red leaves, beautiful leafy greens, spicy arugula and Chervil."  It is quite something to see growing in the garden throughout the Winter contrasted against the grey skies and dull brown landscape with red leaves, green leaves and a green leaf with red freckles.

One of the reviews on Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds gave me a tip that I've used that has enabled our family to continue to enjoying lettuce all throughout the winter - freezes and all.  I can't believe I haven't thought of this before.  I've always just let my tender garden offerings die off in the freezes, but no more!  A review on the website linked above talked about covering the lettuce with plastic during freezes. Lettuce lends itself well to doing this because it is hugs the ground.

So each freeze this year, I've lugged a trusty blue tarp or two out to the garden and covered the lettuce, weighing down the edges with a few t-posts so the tarp doesn't blow off in the stiff North winds.  Sometimes I've left the tarp over the lettuce for four days and it has not harmed the lettuce one bit.  As a result, we've been able to have fresh salads with our meals with accompanying shredded fresh carrots and grated radishes.  You can't beat an instant, portable greenhouse provided by a blue tarp!

Ain't that pretty?

The above and below photos are just two of the varieties that are included in the Rocky Top Lettuce mix.  I've only really planted lettuce for a few years, so I'm still learning, but I did also learn that when you harvest, if you just pinch off the tops of the lettuce and leave the roots and very bottom leaves intact, the lettuce will grow back - giving you a 'second crop.'  You can do this until the weather warms up. When it warms up the lettuce will bolt - sending up flowers and putting the lettuce into the reproductive stage.  At this point, the leaves that were once sweet and delicious become bitter.

Nice leafy greens

In the photo below you can just see the edge of the blue tarp.  I have it positioned in place to cover the lettuce back up in preparation of the weather moving through. According to weather reports, tomorrow morning around 5am (we'll be in the barn milking around that time... BRRRR!), a front will blow through pushing temps back around the freezing mark with wind chills much colder.  I'll cover the lettuce back up so that we can continue our salad-eating without stoppage.

Red Romaine

The lettuce above is Red Romaine lettuce.  It is not part of the Rocky Top Mix, but is some free seed that Baker Creek included in my last order.  They do that from time to time and I think it is a nice gesture and enables you to try some varieties that you might not otherwise try.  This stunning red lettuce in addition to being nice to look at, is delicious to eat.

Pull the tarp up and pass the salad dressing, please.