Batavia Lettuce: How To Grow and Harvest in the Garden
Batavia lettuce is not difficult to grow: With our expert tips on planting and care, you are guaranteed to have a rich Batavia lettuce harvest.
Batavia lettuce ( Lactuca sativa var. Capitata ) brings variety in the garden and on the plate. The salad with the special leaves and the different colors is a change from the more well-known types of salad. In this article, we’ll tell you how you can grow the curled lettuce on your own. Here you can find out everything about the origin, the different varieties, the cultivation, care, and harvest of Batavia lettuce.
Origin and properties of Batavia lettuce
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Batavia lettuce belongs to the so-called crisphead group of garden salads. This also includes iceberg lettuce ( Lactuca sativa var. Crispum) and oak leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. Crispa ). All three belong to the genus of lettuce ( Lactuca ) and thus to the sunflower family ( Asteraceae ). The Batavia is also a mixture of iceberg and oak leaf lettuce in terms of appearance and leaf texture. In terms of taste, the Batavia salad is very multifaceted, some varieties taste hearty and strong, while others are very mild.
The Batavia is not very demanding in cultivation and almost always succeeds in the garden or the pot. It is also particularly popular as a cut or picks salad. It also copes well with rather poor weather conditions and therefore always gives you a rich harvest of crisp, fresh lettuce.
Batavia salad is originally from France. It was first bred there and is still grown today in the local warmer climate. It is an herbaceous plant that grows as a basal rosette. It is these rosette leaves that we value so much as lettuce leaves. In Batavia, the leaves can be patterned green, reddish to reddish-brown, or green and red. The distinguishing feature of the Batavia, however, is the shape and structure of its leaves: These are sometimes more, sometimes less crinkled and sometimes also blistered. Some varieties form firm heads, while others only develop loose leaves. In summer, the Batavia lettuce begins to shoot, that is, the plant develops an inflorescence in the middle. This produces yellow flowers from which small, filigree seeds grow later.
Batavia lettuce varieties
The different types of Batavia salad are varied and colorful.
Recommended varieties of Batavia lettuce for cultivation:
- ˈAmerican brown ’: This type of Batavia lettuce has delicately wavy leaves on the outside and red-brown and green on the inside
- ˈDorée de printempsˈ: Bears green leaves that are curled and blistered on the outside
- ˈSaragossaˈ: This Batavia lettuce variety has green leaves that turn slightly reddish towards the leaf edges; however, it does not form solid heads
- ˈSolasiaˈ: Lush, light green leaves that are very wavy and blistered
- ˈKamalinaˈ: Very curled, reddish leaves
- ˈTarengoˈ: This Batavia lettuce variety has red-green leaves that are slightly blistered
Buying Batavia lettuce plants: what to consider
When buying young lettuce plants, you should first decide on a variety. This determines the color and shape of the lettuce leaves that you will harvest. The appearance and health of the plants are also important. Do the lettuce plants make a vital and healthy impression? Are the leaves undamaged? Do I see no signs of pests or diseases on the lettuce? If you can answer yes to all of these questions, then nothing stands in the way of buying Batavia lettuce plants. It is also a plus point if the young plants are organically grown. They have not been treated with chemical agents and are usually more resistant.
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What should you look out for when buying Batavia lettuce plants?
- Variety choice
- Undamaged leaves and stems
- Vital impression
- Disease and pest free
- Ideally from organic farming
You can find pre-grown lettuce plants in many nurseries, at the weekly market, or in hardware stores and garden centers. If you want to save your wallet and take the time to do it, you can also prefer young plants from seeds yourself. When buying seeds, you usually have a greater choice of varieties. Good sources for ordering Batavia seeds on the Internet are, for example, the online retailers Bingenheimer Saatgut or Dreschflegel.
Grow Batavia lettuce
Batavia lettuce is very easy to grow yourself. Of course, the right location and the right procedure for planting play an important role here. But the time of planting is also crucial.
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When should you grow Batavia lettuce?
You can start preparing Batavia salad as early as the end of February. Sowing outdoors and planting out self-grown or purchased young plants can then take place from mid-March. You can sow and plant Batavia until the end of July so that you can harvest fresh lettuce well into autumn.
The right time to grow Batavia lettuce at a glance:
- Prefer from the end of February
- Planting or sowing outdoors from mid-March to the end of July
- Harvest from mid-May to mid-October
We have prepared detailed instructions for you to plant lettuce here.
The right location for Batavia lettuce
Batavia lettuce, like other types of lettuce, feels good in a sunny to partially shaded location. Its cultivation will not succeed in a completely shady location. The soil for the curly lettuce should be moist, but not wet. Waterlogging is not for the Batavia salad. He also likes loose, well-drained soils with a high humus and nutrient content.
What is the ideal location to grow Batavia lettuce?
- Sunny to a partially shaded location
- Damp but not wet
- Loose, well-drained soil
- Soil rich in nutrients and humus
Tip: Good bed neighbors for a mixed culture with Batavia lettuce are strawberries ( Fragaria ), carrots ( Daucus carota subsp. Sativus ), or radishes ( Raphanus sativus var. Sativus ). On the other hand, celery ( Apium graveolens ) or parsley ( Petroselinum crispum ssp. Crispum ) go less well.
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Instructions: growing Batavia lettuce
You can prefer Batavia lettuce or sow it directly in the bed – both are promising. It can be grown in the garden bed as well as in the balcony box or a pot on the terrace.
First, start with the bed preparation by loosening the soil well and removing all stones and weeds. Then you carry out what is known as basic fertilization, which means that you supply the soil with nutrients before planting. Compost or a fertilizer with an organic long-term effect is suitable for this. Organic universal fertilizer not only gently releases the nutrients to the plant, but also ensures a better soil structure and supports soil life.
Now create seed grooves with a depth of 0.5 to one centimeter at a distance of 25 to 30 centimeters. This is where the seeds are deposited. Salads are light germs and should therefore only be covered very lightly with earth. Then water the seeds. At temperatures between 10 and 15 ° C, the lettuce should rise within 10 to 14 days. At temperatures above 20 ° C, lettuce will no longer germinate.
After emerging, the young plants are separated. The planting distance is 25 to 30 centimeters here. Early or purchased young plants are also planted at this distance. When planting, it is also important that the plants are not planted too deeply, otherwise, the lettuce will not develop well. As a rule of thumb, you should only plant the young plants so deep that the entire stem is still above ground.
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How is Batavia lettuce properly grown?
- Loosen the soil well
- Enrich with compost or a fertilizer with an organic long-term effect
- Create planting grooves
- Seed depth: 0.5 – 1 cm
- Row spacing: 25 – 30 cm
- Place seeds in the grooves
- Pouring on
- Germination temperature: 10 – 15 ° C, max. 18 ° C
- Separate after rising
- Plant spacing: 25 – 30 cm
- Only insert young plants so deep that the entire stem is above ground
Caring for Batavia lettuce: the right watering and fertilizing
Proper watering and fertilizing as well as weed control and protection against snails are part of the care of the lettuce. Water your Batavia regularly, especially after it has risen and on hot summer days. If basic fertilization with compost or organic universal fertilizer with organic long-term effect has been carried out before planting, you do not need to fertilize your lettuce again. However, so that the lettuce can develop well, you should regularly remove the weeds in the bed.
Alternatively, it is a good idea to chop and pile up the lettuce regularly. This not only removes weeds but also loosens the soil, which promotes mineralization and the soil’s ability to absorb water.
Note: Your lettuce will become a treat for snails, especially after planting. You should therefore collect or fight these regularly.
Caring for Batavia salad at a glance:
- Water regularly
- No further fertilizer applications after basic fertilization
- remove weeds
- Chop and pile regularly
- Collect or fight snails
Increase the Batavia lettuce
Seed-solid Batavia lettuce varieties can be propagated from seeds. However, this is time-consuming and laborious with the tiny seeds. It is, therefore, easier to buy new seeds every year. If you still want to collect your own seeds, leave some lettuce plants in the bed until they shoot and bloom. The seeds mature fully within 12 to 24 days after flowering. The best way to collect the seeds is to knock the inflorescences into a container. The seeds turn out well. The seeds can then dry in a cloth bag. The cleaned seeds should be labeled and stored in a cool, dry place. It remains viable for up to three years and can be used to sow new lettuce.
How is Batavia lettuce propagated?
- Stand some Batavia lettuce plants and let them bloom
- Seeds are ripe 12-24 days after flowering
- Knock off the seeds in a container
- Dry in a cloth sack
- Clean the seeds
- Store in a cool and dry place
- The seeds remain viable for up to 3 years
Harvest and store Batavia lettuce
Batavia lettuce shoots very rarely and can therefore still be harvested into October. You can bring in your first lettuce just eight weeks after sowing. Usually, the whole heads of lettuce are harvested. To do this, use a sharp knife and cut off the head with the stalk just above the ground. Alternatively, you can remove the whole lettuce at the root.
Another option is to harvest the Batavia lettuce as lettuce. The whole head is not harvested at once, only individual leaves, according to your personal needs.
You can read here how you can harvest your Batavia lettuce as lettuce.
Due to its crisp, firm leaves, Batavia lettuce can be stored a little longer than other salads. Of course, it tastes best fresh from the harvest, but if you want to keep your salad a bit, that’s no problem. In the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator and wrapped in a damp tea towel, the Batavia will last for four to five days.
Harvesting and storing Batavia lettuce at a glance:
- Harvest from 8 weeks after sowing
- Harvest whole heads by cutting the stalk just above the ground
- Alternatively, unscrew whole heads with roots
- Batavia can also be harvested as a lettuce
- After harvesting, wrap in a damp tea towel
- Store in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator; stays fresh for 4 – 5 days
You can find out everything about the correct harvest of lettuce in our special article on the subject here.
Batavia Salad: Ingredients and Uses
Like other types of lettuce, Batavia lettuce is very low in calories. 100 grams of fresh salad contain just 21 kilocalories. This is of course due to the high water content of the leaves. Compared to other vegetables, salads contain fewer minerals and vitamins, but they can score with high fiber content. And some vitamin C, calcium, and potassium as well as folic acid are also contained in the Batavia salad.
Batavia is particularly suitable as a basis for fresh salads. A delicious side dish is quickly created with a simple dressing of vinegar and oil. But of course, there are no limits when it comes to preparing salad. Batavia also tastes good mixed with other salads, fresh vegetables, or fruit. Due to its beautiful color, it is also wonderfully suitable for garnishing and decorating dishes. And a green smoothie with Batavia salad is ideal as a healthy snack for on the go.