This is a lettuce that looks like an endive. It is called "Can Can".
This particular plant has an interesting history (for a lettuce, that is). It was sown on August 22nd LAST YEAR! In the Autumn it never grew very big, but it looked healthy enough, so I covered it with a cloche to protect it, and it survived the Winter, hardly changing size at all. Then in the Spring it suddenly decided to grow normally, and here we are with a mature lettuce this week.
This is a completely different style of Lettuce - "Little Gem".
Most people probably wouldn't recognize Little Gem with its outer leaves on, because it is normally sold as just the heart - like this:
I was particularly pleased with this one, because it was very dense and heavy. When I disassembled it, it seemed even bigger.
At the weekend I lifted another batch of potatoes. These are "Lady Christl", a First Early variety.
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| The big reveal... |
Like the last batch, these are really smooth and clean, without the slightest sign of scab or anything. However, the size of the tubers is very variable - some of them are bigger than ideal for a new potato - and the overall yield is not so special (876g). I put this down to the dryness of the soil / compost mix, as I mentioned last week. I won't be buying the Wickes multi-purpose compost again.
Taste and texture-wise though, these potatoes were superb. I think new potatoes fresh out of the ground have a quality that cannot be matched by anything that has sat in a shop for weeks on end before being sold. In fact, I often think the potatoes sold as "new" are actually kept in cold storage for months before they are even put on sale!
I'm linking my post to Harvest Monday, hosted by Dave at Our Happy Acres.
You are most definitely ahead of the game Mark. Was the little gem sown this spring? I agree with your sentiments on new potatoes (some supermarkets are selling Charlotte stored over winter as new style potatoes) but I'm not as brave as you and won't even explore underground until July.
ReplyDeleteMal, the Little Gem was sown on March 19th. I have two more lots coming on, at different stages.
DeleteThe Little Gem is a nice lettuce. I tried growing it last year but couldn't get the (new) seed to germinate. Have to try a different source for the seed. Your potatoes as usual look perfect. I think the stores label any small potato as a "new" potato.
ReplyDeleteDavid, I read somewhere that Lettuce is unlikely to germinate if the temperature goes over 70F within 48 hours of sowing. Does that affect you?
DeleteI think you are right about the so-called new potatoes from the grocery. The ones here are never really "new", just small! That Can Can lettuce looks a bit like one I've grown called Tango, and they both look a lot like endive.
ReplyDeleteFreshly dug potatoes are the best, I think mine a couple of weeks off yet. I did plant them rather late.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing that the Can Can lettuce didn't simply bolt this spring. You were certainly rewarded for your patience with it. Those potatoes look great to me even if the sizes are variable.
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful potatoes! I have a couple of potato plants coming up in what is now the carrot bed & I have decided to leave them be and see what happens. I'm hoping they are my favourite from last year, Linzer, as a couple of the ones that I planted this past spring didn't come up.
ReplyDeleteYes, everyone says that "volunteer" potatoes are bad, but why??
DeleteThose spuds are making my mouth water. I've got flowers on some of mine now but I won't harvest them until I'm back from my holiday. I see you're considering taking on an allotment, very exciting, have you been to have a look around the site yet? You say that the social side of it is a plus, however, I would just mention that sometimes I used to wish that it wasn't quite so social, especially when I was rushing to get something done because I was short of time and other plot holders wanted to chat. There's lots of things to weigh up so it's good that you're not rushing in to a decision, it's definitely got to be right for you and what you want because there's a lot of hard work involved and if you decide to give it up, you're leaving all the work you've put in behind.
ReplyDeleteA biennial lettuce, there's a novelty!
ReplyDelete