Photo by 4028mdk09 (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Scientific Name: Lactuca sativa

Common Names: Lettuce 'Lollo Rosso', Lettuce 'Lolla Rosso', Lettuce 'Lollo Rossa', Continental Red Lettuce.

Family: Asteraceae

Origin: 

Lollo Rosso is an open-pollinated Italian heirloom loose-leaf lettuce cultivar.

Culinary Uses:

The red, frilly, decorative leaves of this variety are great for adding variety and a bold, slightly nutty flavour to salads.

Medical Uses:

Good for heart health, contains the antioxidant quercetin in levels up to 100 times greater than iceberg lettuce which may help to lower the risk of heart attacks.  Also contains Vitamins A and C as well as folate and iron.

Growing Tips: 

Lollo Rosso is an easy to grow lettuce variety.  Cut and come again, harvest outer leaves first in full rosettes to encourage further growth.  The leaves become very bitter once the plant forms a central stem and starts to bolt so be sure not to leave too much time before harvesting.  Water regularly, do not allow soil to dry fully or lettuces will bolt to seed.  Fertilise beds well prior to sowing with a nitrogen-rich organic fertiliser. 

How To Sow:  

Sow Lollo Rosso lettuce seeds no deeper than 4mm pressing down soil to hold in moisture.  Space lettuce plants about 30cm apart.  Although Lollo Rosso lettuce will grow in partial shade you ideally want to choose a planting site in full sun for denser leaves.

When To Sow:

Lettuces can be sown all year round in temperate regions of Australia, from September to February in colder regions or from March to September in the subtropics.  Lettuce is likely to bolt to seed when grown in warmer climates.

Time To Germination:

Lollo Rosso lettuce takes 6-14 days to germinate from sowing.

Time To Harvest:

Allow 7 to 9 weeks for harvesting mature lettuces, or harvest as a micro-green from as little as 4 weeks after sowing.