• Transition Farm Organic/Byo-dynamic Seeds - Lettuce 'Pandero' - Ensemble Studios
  • Transition Farm Organic/Byo-dynamic Seeds - Lettuce 'Pandero' - Ensemble Studios
  • Transition Farm Organic/Byo-dynamic Seeds - Lettuce 'Pandero' - Ensemble Studios

Transition Farm

Transition Farm Organic/Byo-dynamic Seeds - Lettuce 'Pandero'

Regular price $5.95
Only 4 in stock

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Lactuca Sativa

Translated as "Queen of Ice”, this crisphead lettuce is a French heirloom, dating back to the 1800's. With ornately toothed glowing, green, finely toothed wrapper leaves blanching a crunchy white heart, she is regal. The complex sweet and mineral flavour combines with the crisp, attractive smaller leaves and bi-coloured heart to make this a chef's favourite. Thrives in Spring and Autumn.

Reine d' Glaces was the first lettuce we grew as a seed crop. We have had kilometers of field space dedicated to this lettuce, trialing seeds from many companies which were neither true to type nor uniform – until we tried Wild Garden Seeds' Reine d' Glaces. Frank Morton had maintained the variety exquisitely and we could finally offer this lettuce to well-known chefs in Melbourne who adored it! Simply dressed with a wild rocket vinaigrette, this lettuce was a stand-alone plate!

But in order to be able to harvest our pre ordered weekly quota, we had to sow double the number of heads EVERY week! With even a whiff of heat on our long days in late December and January, she bolted overnight, changing her flavour from complex to bitter. We are indebted to this Queen for showing us what breeding to climate and locale has to offer.

We have continued to grow Reine as a seed crop each season since, continually selecting for a larger harvest window and a better resilience to heat and light – not a quick bolter. She still finds the longest days with our high UV index too harsh – she is a parasoled queen. But that has endeared us more to her as we love varieties that have their sweet spots -they are usually hard to find and worth the search.

She will reward you for gracing her your garden space throughout Spring and then replant her in mid-February for her to shine again in late Summer and Autumn!

Note: This is based on our experiences in Southern Victoria, Australia


SEED COUNT: 250 approx.

ABOUT TRANSITION FARM

  • Seed produced organically/bio-dynamically is better suited to organic/bio-dynamic growing conditions.

  • We are breeding our seed for flavour, resilience in a low input growing condition and acclimation to our Southern Hemisphere, southern Victorian latitude and climate.

  • Conventional seed production is one of the most chemically intensive types of agriculture.

Bio-dynamic seed crops are grown in living soil within a diverse thriving ecosystem.  

From the time the seed sends out its first roots, it is encouraged to access minerals and nutrients using feeder roots and to form complex symbiotic relationships.  It is nurtured throughout its life by focusing on the health of the whole ecosystem to maintain the balance within the individual plant.  By using photosynthesis to accesses nutrients and build cells, the full nature of the plant’s expression has been guided by sunlight.