How to Grow Rouge d'Hiver
Lactuca sativa
Rouge d'Hiver is a beloved heirloom lettuce known for its exceptional cold tolerance and resistance to bolting in heat. Gardeners prize this variety for extending their harvest season into late autumn or early spring, providing fresh greens when few others survive the chill.
📷 Wikipedia: LettuceStarting Rouge d'Hiver: indoors or direct sow?
🌾 Sow directly in the garden — Rouge d'Hiver is not usually started indoors.
Direct sow seeds outdoors rather than starting indoors, as this cool-season lettuce thrives best when planted directly where it will grow.
Soil, care & harvest
Prepare loose soil with a pH between 6.2 and 6.8 to suit this cool-season crop. Sow seeds directly outdoors 2 to 6 weeks before your last expected frost date, as they tolerate light freezing temperatures well. Press seeds gently into the soil at a depth of about half an inch. Expect germination within 7 to 14 days once conditions are right.
Space plants 8 to 10 inches apart to ensure good air circulation and healthy growth. While lettuce does not require trellising, keep the bed consistently moist with about one inch of water per week. 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, slugs, cutworms, and deer; use row covers or organic sprays for pest control. To prevent downy mildew and bacterial leaf spot, ensure good airflow and water leaves early in the day. Harvest outer leaves when plants are 55 to 65 days old by cutting them close to the base.
When to Plant Rouge d'Hiver
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 Rouge d'Hiver
✓ Good companions
Loosens soil for lettuce roots and doesn't compete for same nutrients
Repels aphids and improves lettuce flavor while providing natural pest deterrent
Attracts beneficial insects like lacewings that prey on lettuce pests
Natural fungicide properties help prevent lettuce diseases like downy mildew
Repels nematodes, aphids, and whiteflies that commonly attack lettuce
Trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles, draws pests away from lettuce
Acts as natural pest trap and breaks up soil, harvested before lettuce needs space
Similar growing requirements and can be interplanted for succession harvesting
✗ Keep away from
Competes for nitrogen and space, can shade out lettuce with large leaves
Strong allelopathic effects inhibit growth of most vegetables including lettuce
Allelopathic compounds inhibit lettuce germination and growth
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving (USDA FoodData Central)
