Lettuce 'Marvel of Four Seasons'

Marvel of Four Seasons is a heirloom butterhead lettuce variety that has wavy, burgundy-coloured outer leaves and green inner leaves with burgundy tips. Grow during the cooler months of the year for best texture and flavour and a deeper red colouration. 8-10 weeks to harvest. 150 seeds per packet.
Lettuce 'Marvel Of Four Seasons'
Lettuce 'Marvel Of Four Seasons'
Price Per Packet: $ 2.50

Growing Advice

Scientific Name: Lactuca sativa

Common Names: Lettuce 'Marvel of Four Seasons', Lettuce 'Merville des Quatre Saisons', Lettuce 'Continuity'

Family: Asteraceae (Daisy)

Origin

Marvel of four seasons is a French heirloom lettuce variety bred during the 1880s.

Plant Uses

Marvel of four seasons is an attractive red leaf lettuce variety suitable for adding appealing colour to salads , sandwiches and burgers.  Because it's a butterhead variety with looser leaves than iceberg types you can harvest the outer leaves as needed while allowing the remainder of the lettuce plant to continue to grow and produce.  This variety is suitable for growing in pots and containers provided a quality potting mix is used.

Growing Tips

Lettuce grows best when planted in a full sun location, although in warmer climates it can also be grown in part shade.  Marvel of four seasons can be susceptible to bolting so is best grown during the colder months of year.  When grown during cooler months the leaves will also be crisper with a sweeter flavour.  The leaves of this variety are very tender but easily damaged by wind or prolonged periods of heavy rain.  Lettuce is a heavy feeder and requires a fertile, free-draining soil rich in organic matter.  Prior to planting add compost, well-rotted animal manures or worm castings if your soil is sandy, lacking in nutrients or heavy with clay.  Adding gypsum can also help to break up heavy clay soils.  Lettuce prefers growing in soil with a pH range between 6.0 and 8.0, some native Australian soils may be more acidic than this and for these adding garden lime will also be beneficial.  Apply a nitrogen rich fertiliser such as blood and bone throughout the growing season if growth slows or any yellowing of the leaves is noticed.  Water regularly, lettuce plants that are water stressed are more likely to have stunted growth, bolt to seed and taste bitter.  Pests such as aphids are also more likely to attack water stressed plants.  Mulching around lettuce plants will help to retain soil moisture and keep their root systems cool which also helps to reduce any stress on the plants.  Lettuce will readily self-sow when left to go to seed so keep an eye out for any volunteer seedlings that pop up in successive years.

When To Sow

Cold: September to February.
Temperate: Any time of year.
Subtropics: March to September.

How To Sow

Sow marvel of four seasons lettuce seeds directly where they are to grow or start them in punnets.  Space lettuce 30cm apart to allow sufficient room for growth.  Sow several seeds in each planting spot or punnet cell and thin to the healthiest seedlings once they develop their first set of true leaves.  Lettuce seeds are small and require light to reach them in order to germinate so cover them with no more than 4mm of soil or growing mix.  Lettuce don't like too much root disturbance, this can stress them and cause them to bolt early, so it's best not to try to divide the lettuce seedlings.  Water lettuce seedlings every day and keep them out of direct sunlight in warmer climates or they will quickly dry out and shrivel.  Sow successive plantings every few weeks to ensure a continuous supply of lettuce leaves throughout the growing season. 

Germination Time

Lettuce seeds are quick to geminate taking from 6 to 14 days for seedlings to emerge.

Time To Harvest

Marvel of four seasons lettuce takes from 8 to 10 weeks to grow large enough to harvest the entire plant, although individual outer leaves can be harvested much earlier if required.