SPERLI BIO Babyleaf-Salat – Saatband

Colourful baby-leaf salads from organic seed on 3 metres of seed tape – for raised beds and containers, harvested while the leaves are young.

The story

Origins & history

Garden lettuce descends from wild prickly lettuce, which grows around the Mediterranean and in the Near East. In ancient Egypt lettuce was already grown more than 4,000 years ago. The genus name Lactuca comes from the Latin ‘lac’, milk – after the milky sap in the stems.

Uses

Baby leaf means the leaves are harvested young, tender and small, straight for the salad bowl. The seed tape suits raised beds and containers on balcony or patio, in sun or partial shade. With successive sowings from April to August the harvest lasts into October.

Meaning

The ancient Egyptians linked lettuce with Min, the god of fertility, and showed it at his side on temple reliefs.

A thought for giving

Lettuce prefers to germinate cool, at 10 to 15 degrees; it does not like too much warmth. Not everyone flourishes in the heat – some need a cool head to grow.

At a glance

• Contents: 3 metres
• Botanical name: Lactuca sativa
• Life cycle: annual
• Position: sunny, partial shade
• Suitable for containers: yes (raised bed)
• Sow outdoors: April–August
• Harvest: May–October
• Sowing depth: 1–2 cm
• Germination temperature: 10–15 °C
• Germination time: 7–14 days
• Row spacing: 25 cm
• Seed type: seed tape
• Organic seed: yes

How to sow

1. Sow directly in the bed, raised bed or container from April to August.
2. Lay the tape in a drill, cover with soil and keep moist – 1–2 cm deep, 25 cm between rows.
3. At 10–15 °C the seeds germinate in 7–14 days.
4. Sun or partial shade; lay a new length every few weeks, ideally in peat-free vegetable compost (Gemüseerde torffrei).

Delivery time: 1–2 weeks. Manufacturer: SPERLI GmbH. Seeds, not a plant – the image shows the original packet.

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