Firecracker Lettuce

Firecracker Lettuce is a loose leaf, red lettuce available in late winter-spring. Firecracker Lettuce is a winter crop that withers in extreme heat, so it does best in cool weather. This lettuce is thin, glossy, and wavy. It compliments these flavors: bold, cool, sweet, and nutty. It has bitter, sharp, and bright taste. Some of its best flavors are in salads and rich pasta dishes. You can grow some of this yummy treat.

Seeding

Before

We planted 4 different types of seeds: carrots, radishes, beets and turnips. We had 2 available rows to seed. The carrots got their own row while the radishes and turnips shared a row. We saw the radishes and turnips after 5 days, but the carrots took about twice as long to make an appearance. Because we ran out of space, we placed the beet seeds in between the lettuce, kale and spinach. The beet started showing about the same time as the carrots.

After

Planting Round Two

Because of the extra row and space added to the garden, our first planting was not enough. We got to plant 4 more kale, lettuce and spinach each. They were planted a week later, but you could tell which ones were in the ground longer. All we have to do know is make sure they stay watered and keep pulling the nut grass.

Rotation 2

Students from the second rotation planted 4 variety of lettuce and mulched some pathways just like the first rotation. They also moved rocks around to help again erosion and weeds.

Lettuce and Spinach Harvest

We harvested some lettuce and spinach. It tasted wonderful. There was some ranch for dipping but most students didn't want it. Nick stated, "I think that the lettuce and the spinach were very good, and they were fresh and moistened perfectly. I never thought that I would enjoy that piece of lettuce that much!" Gabe was asked if he liked lettuce and spinach, and he responded, "I liked the lettuce a lot but not the spinach, you know." Overall, everyone enjoyed the harvest and wanted more.

Growing!!

The garden looks great. We have been watering also everyday. The plants are liking the cool mornings but not the sunny afternoons. The kale especially is wilting in the full sun after school. Hopefully the cool weather this weekend will make the plants more happy. We have noticed the leaves in ALL of our plants having many little holes. Mrs. Reichele did some research and found our problem. We have flea beetles!! She bought some spray that is safe, and it is doing the trick.

Planting Complete!!

 Our plants are in!! The hard work is completed, and now we only need to watch the garden grow. Actually, we will need to keep watering. We planted Kale (Dinasour and Red Russian), Chinese cabbage, Spinach, Arougula and Salad Bowl Lettuce (Regular and Red). From seed, we planted Purple Top White Globe Turnips, Cherrybelle Radishes and Crimson Giant Radishes. The fifth graders are so excited and have worked very hard. They can't wait to eat the fruits of their labor.