Mixed Lettuces Seeds – Lattughe Miste Heritage Blend by Franchi Seeds

This Mixed Lettuces heritage blend (L1) combines 13 carefully selected lettuce varieties, offering a colourful mix of leaf shapes, textures and flavours in every sowing. The blend typically includes soft butterheads, crisp romaine types and tender loose-leaf lettuces, creating fresh salads with excellent balance between sweetness, crunch and delicate bitterness.​

Ideal for cut-and-come-again harvests, this mix is designed for successional sowing so you can enjoy a continuous supply of baby and semi-mature leaves from spring into autumn. With approximately 6000 seeds per packet, one pack can produce a remarkable number of salad bowls or home “salad bags” if a small pinch is sown each month from March to September.​

🌱 Sowing information
Sow thinly from March to September in shallow drills outdoors, in raised beds, or in deep containers and window boxes using a fertile, moisture-retentive but free-draining compost or soil. Cover seeds lightly (around 0.5–1 cm), water gently and keep the seedbed consistently moist until germination and establishment. Successional sowings every 2–3 weeks provide a steady flow of tender leaves.​

☀️ Light exposure
Mixed lettuce prefers full sun in the cooler months of spring and early autumn, but benefits from light shade during warmer periods to prevent stress and bolting. In Irish gardens, a bright but not overly exposed position often gives the best combination of colour, texture and flavour.​

💧 Water needs
Keep soil or compost evenly moist for soft, succulent foliage; drought can turn leaves bitter and encourage plants to run to seed. Mulching or using closely spaced rows helps conserve moisture and maintain clean leaves, especially in raised beds or containers that dry more quickly.​

🌡️ Germination temperature & time
Lettuce germinates well at cooler temperatures of around 10–18 °C and usually appears within 7–14 days. In Ireland, early sowings can be started under cover or with cloches, while mid-season sowings do well directly outdoors as soils warm.​

📏 Plant spacing & final size
For cut-and-come-again salad mix, sow more densely in bands or wide drills and harvest leaves young. For fuller heads or semi-mature rosettes, thin plants to 15–25 cm apart in rows 25–30 cm apart, allowing each plant to develop a robust crown of leaves.​

🌼 Harvesting notes
Begin cutting baby leaves 3–5 weeks after sowing, using scissors to harvest the outer foliage while leaving the growing point intact for repeated cuts. For “home salad bags”, cut a mix of varieties into a bowl, rinse gently, dry and chill; frequent light harvesting encourages a prolonged, productive season.​

Bullet Technical Data
🌱 Sowing depth: Approximately 0.5–1 cm deep​
📅 Ideal planting months for Ireland: Sow from March–September, in small batches every 2–3 weeks for continuous salads​
☀️ Light requirements: Full sun to light partial shade, especially in mid-summer​
🌡️ Germination time: About 7–14 days at 10–18 °C​
📏 Plant height: Typically 15–25 cm for cut-and-come-again leaves​
🪴 Spacing: Densely sown for baby leaves; 15–25 cm between plants for larger rosettes​
⏳ Days to maturity: Around 25–40 days for baby leaves; longer for fuller plants​
🧪 Approximate seeds quantity: about 6000 seeds per packet​

Tips & Tricks for Growing (Garden Expert Section)
For Irish conditions, sow a small pinch of Mixed Lettuces every 2–3 weeks from March to September instead of a large amount at once; this avoids gluts and keeps salads fresh and tender. Use shallow drills or wide bands in raised beds or troughs, and keep the soil consistently moist, especially during germination and warm spells.​

To reduce slug damage, raise containers off the ground, use copper tape or organic controls, and avoid over-watering in the evening. In mid-summer, provide light shade (for example, using shade cloth or planting near taller crops) to prevent rapid bolting and bitter leaves.​

Garden-to-Table Recipe (for 4 people)
Mixed Lettuce & Herb Salad with Lemon Olive Oil Dressing

Ingredients (for 4 people)

• Large colanderful of freshly picked Mixed Lettuces leaves, washed and dried

• Small handful of fresh herbs (parsley, chives or basil), finely chopped

• 8–10 cherry tomatoes, halved

• ½ cucumber, thinly sliced

• 40 g toasted seeds or nuts (such as sunflower seeds, walnuts or almonds)

For the dressing

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• ½ tsp honey (optional)

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method – step-by-step

1. Place the mixed lettuce leaves in a large salad bowl, then add the chopped herbs, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and toasted seeds or nuts.

2. In a small jar, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, honey (if using), salt and pepper, then shake well until emulsified.

3. Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently so all the leaves are lightly coated without bruising.

Serving suggestions & variations
Serve as a fresh side salad with grilled fish, roast chicken or a simple pasta dish, letting the colours and textures of the 13-variety mix shine. For a more substantial meal, add torn mozzarella, crumbled goat’s cheese, or cooked lentils or chickpeas, and finish with extra herbs from the garden.