Plant trials
Virtual lettuce trial 2007
About the trial
There are 49 entries in the RHS trial of cos and semi-cos lettuce. All seed was received in the Trials Office by the end of February 2007. The trial will be sown in week commencing 12 March and the trial will run until June 2007, with judging and recording taking place in June.
View the list of entries (54KB pdf)
RHS vegetable trials
The trial is part of the RHS planned programme of vegetable trials to allow assessments of cultivars for the Award of Garden Merit. Such trials are normally grown at RHS Garden Wisley.
Objectives
To compare and assess a range of cos and semi-cos lettuce cultivars. To recommend the Award of Garden Merit to outstanding cultivars for garden use and to demonstrate the cultivation of such a crop.
The Wisley trial
The entries were sown in week 12 (w/c 12 March 2007), three seeds per cell direct into P40 modules of peat-free compost. The seeds were watered in with a fungicide and left to germinate at 20°C/68°F (seeds must be kept below 20°C in order to germinate). Once the seeds germinate they are moved to an area where the temperature is no higher than 15°C (60°F) and thinned to one plant per cell; this enables the roots of the strongest seedling to establish well before planting on the field. The lettuce will be planted out on the trials field in early April. The trial will be spaced 15cm (6in) between small-framed plants, 30cm (12in) between larger-framed cultivars with 30cm (12in) between rows. There will be three 3.6m (12ft) rows of each entry.
Recording and judging
The Vegetable Trial Sub-Committee will assess the trial in June using the following criteria:
quality : uniformity : shape : size : density : absence of bolting : standing ability : disease resistance
The Trials Officer will take photographic records of the trial, note down any cultivars with a tendency to bolt and also take measurements at time of harvest.