Ark of Taste Amish Deer Tongue Lettuce
Discover the heritage and health benefits of our Amish Deer Tongue Lettuce! Known for its unique taste and historical significance, this heirloom lettuce variety adds a touch of tradition to your plate. Amish Deer Tongue Lettuce is not just a culinary delight but also a powerhouse of nutrients. Packed with vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin A for healthy vision, Vitamin K for bone health, and folate for overall well-being, this lettuce variety makes a nutritious addition to any meal. Low in calories and high in fiber, it's perfect for those looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle without sacrificing flavor.
Support the Ark of Taste Amish Deer Tongue Lettuce - 10% of sales goes to Slow Food USA!
Here's the Heritage Story:
Amish Deer Tongue Lettuce, also known as Matchless, has been around since the 1740s. Likely brought to North America by English settlers, its origin is tied to New England. It was popular up until the industrialization of agriculture post World War II, which introduced mass production. In order for lettuce to be mass-produced, it had to survive long transportation. Hardy and sturdy-leafed lettuces took over the market, while the fragile-leafed Amish Deer Tongue was nearly forgotten. Luckily, interest in heirloom vegetables has put Amish Deer Tongue Lettuce back on the map. It is appreciated for its delicate leaves and wonderful, sharp flavor that tastes fresh from the forest.
Plant Specifications:
Amish Deer Tongue Lettuce typically takes around 2 to 3 weeks from starter plant to reach maturity. Harvest the outer leaves as needed once the plant reaches a suitable size, or wait until the entire head is mature for a full harvest.
Make sure to plant in nutrient dense soil to ensure thriving plants. You can purchase our magic organic soil and organic soil boosters (micro and macro nutrients in the form of marine-based fertilizers, worm castings, and beneficial fungi) specifically curated to help improve your soil.
- Growing Season: Year Round (in mild climates)
- Harvest Method: Grazing method, cut and come again, start harvesting as soon as there are 5 mature leaves (4-5" long)
- First Harvest: 2-4 weeks from initial planting (2 weeks during peak growing seasons, 4 weeks during cold winter months)
- Final Harvest: 5-8 weeks
- Best Planted Wall Placement: Any level
We grow with the seasons! So in most climates, you will be able to grow year round. Typically most lettuce can handle the cooler temperatures and tend to look for the shade in the hotter temperatures.
You want to be aware of the extreme temperature ranges in your region. If you follow the guidelines below, you will be safe:
COLD CLIMATES
- If you live in a location where the temperatures dip below freezing, then you will want to wait until night temperatures are in the 40's consistently.
- On the occasional dips into the 30's, you can cover with a sheet or bring them indoors for that time period. The breeze is good for plants and helps to keep bugs at bay so growing outdoors is optimal.
WARM CLIMATES:
- If you live where it reaches above 90 degrees consistently, you'll want to grow heat tolerant fruiting plants (tomatoes and peppers) and herbs (basil, mint, rosemary) primarily.
To find out what extreme temperatures your location experiences, check out the USDA zone for your region.
We always ship our organic seedlings at their peak for transplant which means they can be held before shipping. We typically ship plants according to the following schedule:
CA - ship Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.
US states outside of CA - ship Mondays and Tuesdays.
Outside of US - we do not currently ship outside of the US.
For more information, refer to our shipping policy.
Don't worry we tend to over-communicate the details when it comes to logistics. You'll know when orders (both seedlings and other garden products) are shipped.
