Lettuce | Romaine 'Parris Island'

Grow crisp, succulent, and upright heads of romaine lettuce in your home garden. Romaine lettuce is a quintessential salad favorite, prized for its sturdy, folded leaves and rich, sweet crunch in Caesar salads, wraps, and fresh summer dishes.

These reliable plants produce upright, elongated heads throughout the cool growing season, making them a refreshing and rewarding addition to any vegetable patch. Start seeds indoors before the last spring frost or direct sow early for Canada's shorter, cooler growing seasons.

Why Grow Romaine Lettuce?

• Crisp, upright, and succulent elongated heads
• Abundant and reliable cool-weather yields
• Essential for Caesar salads, wraps, and fresh sandwiches
• Open-pollinated variety
• Approximately 65–70 days to maturity
• Grows best in full sun to part shade
• Approximately 200 seeds per packet

How to Grow Romaine Lettuce from Seed

Start lettuce seeds indoors approximately 4–6 weeks before your last expected spring frost, or direct sow outdoors as soon as the soil can be worked in early spring. Sow seeds about 3 mm (⅛ inch) deep in fertile, well-drained soil and keep cool and consistently moist until germination.

Provide seedlings with plenty of bright light if started indoors. Before planting outdoor transplants, gradually harden off the seedlings. Choose a location with full sun to partial shade and rich, amended soil.

Space plants approximately 20–30 cm (8–12 inches) apart to allow proper air circulation and upright head development. Lettuce prefers cooler temperatures and may bolt or turn bitter in intense summer heat.

Water consistently and evenly, ensuring the shallow root system stays moist, especially during active growth.

Growing Romaine Lettuce in Canada

Romaine lettuce thrives in the cool spring and fall weather characteristic of Canadian climates. Canadian gardeners benefit from starting seeds early indoors or using succession planting every few weeks to extend the harvest before intense summer temperatures arrive.

Use shade cloths during unexpectedly hot summer afternoons to protect sensitive plants from bolting, or time crops for a robust autumn harvest.

For detailed instructions covering seed starting, transplanting, spacing, watering, fertilizing, harvesting, and pest management, read our Complete Guide to Growing Lettuce in Canada.

Romaine Lettuce Growing Information

Feature	Detail
Botanical Name	Lactuca sativa
Common Name	Romaine Lettuce 'Parris Island'
Plant Type	Annual cool-season vegetable
Sun Requirements	Full sun to part shade
Days to Maturity	Approximately 65–70 days
Seed Count	Approximately 200 seeds
Pollination Type	Open-pollinated
Best Uses	Caesar salads, wraps, and fresh salads

Grow Your Own Romaine Lettuce

There is nothing quite like biting into a crisp, fresh head of romaine lettuce harvested straight from your own garden. With its sweet crunch and versatility, romaine lettuce is a rewarding and essential addition to any Canadian vegetable patch.

Start your lettuce from seed this season and enjoy watching them form upright heads for a bountiful harvest.