Lactuca, Lettuce, Merlot Lettuce

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Ready to purchase!
SKU
63198276
Sun Preference
Full-Sun, Part-Sun
Bloom or Harvest Time
Spring, Fall
  $4.79

Description

This deep hued lettuce is great paired with other greens, or enjoyed on its own on a crisp fall day.

Lactuca sativa

Seed Starting Successfully

Start your garden from scratch with Gertens' wide variety of seed packets! Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, we have seeds for every skill level and garden size. From colorful flowers to delicious vegetables, our seeds are carefully selected for their quality and performance.

Seed Starting Successfully

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When to Grow Veggies & Fruits

From Our Experts

Details

Deep purple-red leaves with delightful earthy flavor.

Looking for that perfect lettuce to complement a rich autumn feast? In Merlot, you’ll find deep garnet hues with a brilliant sparkle. The rich, earthy flavor belies a distinct nose of black cherry with herbaceous undertones. Fresh and full-bodied and cloaked in a subtle, ruffled velvet robe, Merlot’s mouth feel delights. It is well structured, supple, and smooth. A deep purple beauty, this recent vintage is sure to please the whole table. (Note: unlike other merlots, this one does not improve with age; harvest young!)

Lactuca sativa

Growing Instructions.

Sow indoors beginning 8-10 weeks before last frost, or direct sow beginning about 4 weeks before last frost. Harvest late spring and summer sowings promptly to beat bolting. Continue sowing until about 2 weeks before first fall frost. Lettuce likes steady (but not excessive) moisture and can become prematurely bitter during dry spells; keep irrigated for best-tasting leaves. Harvest at baby stage when leaves are 3" high, or at maturity. Merlot is an open lettuce, harvest mature heads when full and frilly.

More Information

Mature Height (Range) 7-12"
Spacing Between Rows 12"
Spacing in Row 4-12"
Days to Germination 3-10 days
Planting Depth ¼"
Days to Maturity 60 days
Seed Packet Type Organic Vegetables
Plant Life Cycle Annual
Bloom or Harvest Time Spring, Fall
Sun Preference Full-Sun, Part-Sun
Common Family Name Lettuce
Brand Hudson Valley Seed Co

Product Questions (12)

Starting times will vary depending on the vegetable you are growing. Each seed packet will have specific sowing instructions for that type of vegetable. Some plants, such as tomatoes and peppers, should be started indoors, 6-8 weeks before the last frost...
The process of bringing seeds outside is called hardening off. Hardening off is generally done sometime after the seedling has two full sets of normal leaves. In Minnesota, you want to begin hardening off seedlings in late April/early May.  To ...
If you have a southern facing window with all day sun, you may grow seedlings in a windowsill. Be sure to rotate the seedlings frequently to ensure the plants do not lean heavily towards the sun. For more even results, use a grow light, positioned roughly...
We recommend using either high intensity T5 fluorescent bulbs, or LED grow lights. Both setups will produce excellent results. T5s are the typical grow light, are economical and come in frequencies that are helpful for plant development. LED technology...
Grow lights should be kept roughly 4-5” above the top of seedling leaves. If you are using very powerful LEDs, you could even keep them 8-10” away.
Grow lights should be used to mimic a natural sunlight cycle for plants. We recommend using them 12 hours a day, from roughly 7am to 7pm.  
A variety of seedling trays exist for seed starting. If you are starting smaller seeds, a simple peat cell tray works great. However, the larger the seed, the larger the initial pot should be. If you are starting larger seeds indoors such as: sunflowers...
Do not start any type of fertilizer regime for young seedlings until they have at least two full sets of regular leaves. Start with a root stimulator, then after a month you may move on to a gentle, weak (half strength) water-based fertilizer. Remember...
Let the roots tell you when to transplant. When you begin to see the seedling’s root growing out of the bottom of their current pot, it is time to transplant up to something larger. We recommend using a 4” nursery pot to transplant most seedlings. In...
Gertens carries a wide variety of both spring and autumn planted bulbs. Spring planted bulbs, such as gladioli and dahlias, are best started indoors in early April, and planted outside once the soil temperatures are above 55 F. Autumn planted bulbs, ...
The big three tips are: 1) Staking and training 2) Feeding and watering and 3) Harvesting and enjoying. 1) Keeping plants trained and staked allows air circulation around crops and provides much-needed support for produce as it grows...
Gertens does carry an assortment of both perennials, as well as annual and perennial wildflower mixes. It is important to remember when growing perennials, that you will not get any flowers the first year of growth. It often takes a perennial 2-3 years...
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