How to Grow Crisp Mint Romaine
Lactuca sativa 'Crisp Mint'
Crisp Mint Romaine is a cool-season lettuce variety prized for its tender leaves and resistance to bolting. Gardeners grow it for reliable harvests in spring or fall gardens where temperatures remain moderate.
📷 Wikipedia: LettuceStarting Crisp Mint Romaine: indoors or direct sow?
🌾 Sow directly in the garden — Crisp Mint Romaine is not usually started indoors.
This variety is best sown directly in the garden rather than transplanted, though seedlings can be moved outdoors if started indoors within the recommended window before the last frost.
Soil, care & harvest
Prepare loose, well-draining soil with a pH between 6.2 and 6.8. Sow seeds directly outdoors 2 to 6 weeks before the last frost date, as this lettuce tolerates light cold. Alternatively, start indoors during the same window if your area has a short growing season. Press seeds gently into the soil surface at a depth of about 1/4 inch. Germination typically occurs within 5 to 10 days.
Space plants 8 to 10 inches apart to ensure good air circulation and healthy head formation. While lettuce does not require support or trellising, keep soil consistently moist with 1 to 1.5 inches of water weekly. Apply a light layer of mulch around the base to retain moisture and suppress weeds, but avoid piling it against the stems.
Watch for aphids, thrips, leafminers, and cabbage loopers; use insecticidal soap or hand-pick pests early. Prevent tipburn and bacterial leaf spot by avoiding overhead watering and ensuring proper spacing. Harvest outer leaves when plants are 55 to 65 days old, cutting them close to the base for a continuous supply of crisp greens.
When to Plant Crisp Mint Romaine
Planting windows vary by USDA hardiness zone. Look up yours by ZIP code.
| Zone | Start Indoors | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | — | June – July | August – September |
| Zone 2 | — | May – July | July – September |
| Zone 3 | — | May – June | July – October |
| Zone 4 | — | April – June | June – October |
| Zone 5 | — | April – May | June – November |
| Zone 6 | — | April – May | June – November |
| Zone 7 | — | March – May | May – November |
| Zone 8 | — | March – April | May – December |
| Zone 9 | — | February – March | April – December |
| Zone 10 | — | January – March | March – December |
| Zone 11 | — | January – February | February – December |
| Zone 12 | — | January – February | February – December |
| Zone 13 | — | January – February | February – December |
Companion Plants for Crisp Mint Romaine
✓ Good companions
Deep roots don't compete with shallow lettuce roots, provides ground coverage
Repels aphids and improves lettuce flavor while attracting beneficial insects
Attracts beneficial insects like ladybugs and parasitic wasps that control lettuce pests
Strong scent deters slugs, snails, and aphids that commonly attack lettuce
Natural pest deterrent, repels nematodes and aphids that damage lettuce
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles, draws pests away from lettuce
Fast-growing, helps break up soil and can be harvested before lettuce needs space
Similar growing requirements and root depth, good succession planting companion
✗ Keep away from
Large leaves create too much shade and compete for nutrients with lettuce
Strong allelopathic effects inhibit growth of lettuce and most other vegetables
Allelopathic compounds inhibit lettuce germination and growth
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving (USDA FoodData Central)
