Celtuce

The leaf of a Lettuce - the stem of a Celery! Actually tastes like neither - its a nutty crunchy pea-like flavour and very moreish. Cook if you will like Asparagus or cut up raw in a salad.

How to Grow Celtuce from Seed

Celtuce has celery-like stalks and lettuce-like leaves, it looks rather like a Romaine lettuce on a stalk. Celtuce is a non-hearting relative of the lettuce, originating from southern China and was originally known as Chinese Lettuce or Asparagus Lettuce.

The inner stem has a celery like crunch, although the flavour is milder and more delicate and often compared to asparagus when cooked. The leaves can be used like spinach, eaten in salads while young and tender stage, wilted or cooked as the plant matures. Celtuce is fabulous used in stir-fries.

Like spinach, Celtuce is a cool weather crop with spring and autumn sowing recommended for best results. It is very easy to grow and can be treated like regular lettuce.

Sow indoor in pots or trays, or outdoors once the soil is warm enough, ideally from February onwards if you have cloche protection otherwise outdoors from mid March onwards. Germination normally occurs within 14 to 21 days.

Indoor raised plants can be moved or transplanted into the garden from April with a little protection spaced 4 to 6 inches apart.

Celtuce seed does not germinate in high temperatures so with summer sowing keep very well watered.