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Annual Biennial

Lactuca sativa 'Robinson'

lettuce (crisphead) 'Robinson'

This medium-sized crisphead lettuce produces large round heads with tasty, crunchy, green leaves. It also shows good pest and disease resistance, along with resistance to unfavourable growing conditions, making this a popular variety to grow, especially with organic gardeners. Sow seeds from April (undercover from February) - June, harvest from July until October.

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Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metres
Time to ultimate height
1 year
Ultimate spread
0.1–0.5 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Clay
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Green
Summer Green
Autumn Green
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
  • Partial shade
Aspect

South–facing or East–facing or West–facing or North–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H3
Botanical details
Family
Asteraceae
Native to GB / Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Clump forming
Genus

Lactuca can be annuals, biennials, perennials or shrubs, with alternate leaves, milky white sap and daisy-like flowers in white, yellow or blue. The genus includes a wide range of wild plants, as well as species cultivated for their edible leaves (lettuce)

Name status

Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in full sun in moisture-retentive soil. Soil should be reasonably fertile so you can improve soil by adding organic matter, such as well-rotted manure, in the autumn. Lettuces grow best on soil that is close to neutral so if you have very acidic or alkaline soil you may want to consider raised beds, containers or improving the pH of your soil. Water when the soil is dry, ideally early in the morning. Harvest from July until October. See lettuce cultivation for more information.

Propagation

Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • Patio and container plants
  • Cottage and informal garden
Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to birds, slugs, snails but shows some resistance to lettuce root aphid.

Diseases

May be susceptible to grey moulds but shows resistance to some lettuce downy mildew. Lettuce mosaic virus can affect overwintering crops.

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