Miz Anna decided she needed to experiment with container grown veggies on the front porch and since I left work I find myself caretaking. Not being to sure of proper timing and conditions we've been pooling whatever slight knowledge we possess while whatever happens.
She bought some seedlings labeled romaine lettuce that has leaves growing from a stalk. Nipping leaves from the plants make for good sandwich greens but these dont look like the Romaine with I'm familiar. I'll try cutting some stalks to see if that may spur new growth.


These cores were placed in water and are looking like the Romaine I know.


I tried Google searching with my phone this AM but the app keeps searching the image for words. I did find something that looked right but the article was in Espanol. I gave up before I flung my phone up in the tree.
Was just wondering if anyone recognizes what we have.
Thanks for your time.

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I do respect the effort and work many put into their home gardens! Gardening is NOT my thing - heck, I'd rather go to the Dentist! I almost once started a vegetable garden but after thinking about all the work I decided to go to the local fruit and vegetable store instead. lol

I did some just this past weekend along with a friend. We pulled out 9 ferns, transplanted a few bushes, planted a few new bushes and put down 120 pounds of black mulch. I HATE doing anything at all in the garden - I could never grow vegetables. I have an abundance of patience for mechanical thinks, but zero for anything that grows in the dirt.

Of all the years I have owned a home, (44 I think) I did the gardening only one season. After that, I sold all the equipment and hired a gardener. Learned my lesson in gardening!

My garden has A/C in the summer and heat in the winter, plus all the green things (plants?) are stacked in neat little piles in neat little shelves; no mud on my boots, either. But, NO EGGPLANT! Nobody likes eggplant!!

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Waiting For The Sun.

Our home of the past 7-1/2 years is a "patio home", HOA property with 20 homes around a private cul-de-sac. In addition to the house with 2-car garage we have a private 650 sq. ft. patio. I have a dozen large planting containers growing tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, lettuce, other goodies.

My romaine lettuce grows as shown in the OP second photo. We pull off a few leaves, rinse, and use for salads and sandwiches. Works like a charm. Three or four plants keep us supplied all summer.

Spring planting time comes, I mix in some composted manure to replenish the soil. Couple shots of Miracle Grow per month during the growing season.

Easy to do, and I always have sacks of veggies for the neighbors because we can't eat it all as fast as it produces.

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Life of the party until 8:00PM

"Nobody likes Eggplant." Lets just say a little goes a long way!

We've been cutting down on carbs, and have gone to Noodle free Spaghetti & meatballs and Noodle free Lasagna. We make the Lasagna in a bread pan, a traditional batch makes 3 bread pans and that is a meal for the two of us. Instead of noodles we use Zucchini or Eggplant sliced long ways and broiled until it sweats, dry off and layer it just like noodles. To replace spaghetti, we have a spiral slicer, and brown until lightly caramelized, dry off and serve with sauce and meatballs.

Ivan

I for one like and enjoy vegetable gardening. Later today I'm buying
some plants, seeds and potato seed while restocking rolled oats for the
mules. The mules are the fertilizer source along with compost and some
biochar for good measure.
My backyard home built Chinese/solar type green house supplies some
cool/cold weather veges during the winter months. I've scrounged enough free windows to expand the green house, now I just need to
talk myself into doing the work.
OP, your lettuce may have had a little to much nitrogen and got leggy.
Your container gardening is a great idea and if produce prices continue
to increase, a good investment.

LaRosa's is a locally founded dine in/delivery chain with 65 pizzarias in OH, IN and KY.

They use their own hydroponically grown lettuce. It is quite good.

I am a fan of hydroponics.

PS: eggplant rules!

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I too enjoy gardening and growing about anything from veggies to trees. With current supply chain problems and societal events being even a little more self sufficient makes sense. IMO

Gardening is great. Keeping the Deer out is a PITB. No longer worth the effort. That looks like young Romain lettuce by the way. Bet it's tasty.

Sorry, I’m an iceberg man

I can't tell for sure but they might not be getting enough sunlight. The seedling need at least 8 hours of DIRECT SUNLIGHT per day.

No indirect light, or light shade will work. Good luck.

soFlaNative, your lettuce looks just like the Bib Lettuce that I grow each spring. I take the lower leaves and let it keep producing until it starts to get a strong taste or it bolts. Some folks let Bib Lettuce come up and form a kind of bunch and then harvest the entire cluster.

[QUOTE=jeffrefrig But, NO EGGPLANT! Nobody likes eggplant!![/QUOTE]

I like eggplant 🍆. Had some fried last night. Am i nobody?

Eggplant is often used in Asian cuisine.

It took me a long time to try it and then welcome it. For me, the initial impression was negative since i hate eggs in any form except cookies, cake and anything that the eggs aren’t identified in. The name of this fruit is what kept me away.

I'm with you; that doesn't look like the Romaine with which I'm familiar. I know very little about it -could be a different variety then we're used to.

Just looked up pictures of it; there does seem to be a little variation between them. There were pictures of what I've had in the past, but I didn't see any that looked like that first picture of yours.

Best of wishes,
Andy

Nothing better than fresh tomatoes from my garden. Tomatoes, baratta cheese, fresh basil (also from the garden) and a good olive oil. Pair it with a nice, chilled white wine and some crusty home made bread. It is the meal I would eat just before they strapped me into the electric chair. Thinking about it makes me pine for summer. That Romaine needs a good Caesar dressing and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese with some white anchovies.

Thanks for the input Old Arkan & Beemer.
8 hrs. of direct, SoFla high sky spring sunlight on a south facing concrete deck will cook most anything in a container. The collection of plants on the slab are in bright, not direct light from morning to late afternoon.

Still can't figure exactly what I have but the Bibb lettuce suggestion looked pretty close but for the vein pattern of the leafs. Not concerned, just curious but will continue to enjoy the pickings from the lettuce, spinach and swiss chard the wife managed to cram into her little tower.
Couple of cherry tomato, green pepper and bush beans bean varieties starting to flower, it's all fun,

Just info for info's sake...
We've been taking the cut down cores, keeping in water until some roots appear then planting. One decided to sucker instead of beginning to leaf and Voila! Looks just like the sprouts MizAnna bought for her planter.

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I know that as "leaf" lettuce. Pick the individual leaves as needed. grew a ton of it in WA when I lived there.

My wife and son LOVE to garden. Hence we have 3 raised beds in out yard for veggies...and son have a plot in a community garden near and a friend his Arlington, VA condo. We just finished prepping it for plantin. Of course, he needed a pergola, a raised bed, and a seat. We did all this over the weekend with mostly donated lumber. The "Z" is for the friend's daughter Zoe.

I love doing this kind of stuff, and i will participate in planting...Mrs raljr1 says that I am a druid in training with no graduation in sight.

Robert

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

I use it occasionally but never by itself; I mix it with fresh spinach, fresh kale, and other lettuces. Iceberg lettuce by itself has absolutely no flavor.

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Very good illustration; it has all the flavor of water.

True but that was not my intended meaning.

Think about it.

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I believe that lettuce is the unsung hero of the vegetable world. There are several very different kinds and they are all good. I like iceberg, romaine, bib, and butter lettuce. I try to keep at ,least 2 kinds in the veggie crisper all the time.True, they don't have much of a taste. Fresh isn't a taste per se, more a texture or sensation. Sandwiches, salads, lettuce wraps, etc. In the hot summer time I like to put canned peaches or pears on a bed of crisp iceberg lettuce, top that with some cottage cheese and a few cherries (along with a little of the juice). mighty refreshing.

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I realize many don't like cooked spinach, and I have to agree with the one exception being a souffle, certainly a very tasty dish. However, raw spinach, especially mature raw spinach as opposed to the less tasty baby spinach is very good - lots of flavor and a crisper texture than most similar greens. The bland flavor of cooked spinach in no way compares to the rich flavor of raw spinach. Just wash it real well; it often has a lot of sand in it.

I can always use the help from above.

Please don't quarter a head of lettuce lengthwise and put it on my plate and call it a salad, I've ordered a Romaine salad and thats how it came. I like eggplant parm and have been known to tolerate chunks in other dishes. When it comes to Iceberg lettuce it might as well be water, I have had some Iceberg lettuce rollups that were pretty tasty.

Every time we go to P.F. Chang's Ruthie gets these.

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Iceberg lettuce for me. Add peanut butter and pickles; can't be beat - won't be beat.

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S&WCA #3065

Ruthie uses Romaine to make her excellent Caesar Salad (with anchovies).

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I just made 3 eggplant into a very tasty eggplant parmesan for tonights dinner.
My wife and I had about half of the casserole .I'll vacuum seal the rest and freeze for a latter date.

There's a lot you can do with eggplant, but other than frying, most of the dishes take a little work. Those who dabble in cooking and aren't serious enthusiasts probably won't prepare eggplant. Eggplant can be quite tasty.

From romaine to eggplant.
Next it will be Congress to climate change and I'll think I'm talking to my brother.

I am one with the eggplant. Goo goo g' joob.

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...on a Caesar Salad. But Iceberg for anything else, please.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

A nice salad with a quick protein is a default dinner for us. Especially in summer.
For those keeping track....Eggplant is way better than for example, broccoli!

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Broccoli is another vegetable that can be be very good, but when it's cooked to the point of mushiness, it has a bad flavor and is less than appetizing with its olive drab appearance.

Steamed just to where it's tender, it has a completely different rich flavor than when it is ruined by overcooking and it retains its bright green color. Same for stir fired broccoli; good eating.

Oh man...A local Greek restaurant makes a dish they call the "Turkish Plate"...grilled lamb cutlets, sliced pan fried eggplant, seasoned rice, covered with Tzatziki. Its amazing, I don't even look at the menu when we go there, I let them know right away thats what I'm there for.

I prefer the iceberg in salads because you can stab it with a fork. The other leaves, weeds an clippings keep falling off.