Description
Harvested from the gardens at Monticello.
Brown Dutch Lettuce was the most frequently planted of the approximately seventeen lettuce varieties documented by Thomas Jefferson in the vegetable garden at Monticello. Seeds were sown 27 times between 1809 and 1824, primarily in the fall for a winter harvest. Mentioned as early as 1731 by British botanist Stephen Switzer, Brown Dutch is a loose-headed variety with large, floppy, blistered outer leaves that are tinged reddish-brown. Jefferson-documented: This plant was documented by Thomas Jefferson in his Garden Book, Notes on the State of Virginia, or other writings.
Native Distribution: The Mediterranean, Northeastern Europe
Direct sow seeds in early spring, as soon as the ground can be worked, in rich, well-drained soil. Brown Dutch Lettuce is also suitable for fall crops that may be planted in late summer. Approximately 150 seeds per packet.
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