Romaine
Dragoon is a compact green mini romaine that matures in just 43 days, making it one of the quickest lettuces you can harvest. This open-pollinated variety thrives in cool weather and germinates reliably between 60, 70°F, so it's an excellent choice for spring and fall gardens where other lettuces bolt. Its frost tolerance means you can push both seasons further than you might expect, extending your harvest window significantly.
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Annual, Biennial
Moderate
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This mini romaine reaches maturity faster than most lettuce varieties, delivering tender green leaves in less than six weeks from seed. It handles cold snaps gracefully, so you can sow it early in spring or succession-plant well into autumn without worrying about unexpected frosts. The compact growth habit fits neatly into small spaces, and the open-pollinated genetics mean you can save seeds season after season if you let a plant bolt.
Dragoon is grown as a fresh salad green. Its compact, mini romaine form works well in mixed green salads, individual salad bowls, or as whole heads in composed salads where you want tender, upright leaves that hold their structure.
Start seeds indoors 4, 6 weeks before your last spring frost date. Keep soil temperature between 60, 70°F for best germination. Provide bright light once seedlings emerge to prevent leggy growth. Harden off transplants over 7, 10 days before moving to the garden.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after hardening off, spacing them 6, 8 inches apart. Plant when soil temperature is at least 50°F, though 60, 65°F is ideal for vigorous growth. Water gently after transplanting to settle soil around roots.
Direct sow seeds outdoors as soon as soil can be worked in spring, or in mid to late summer for a fall crop. Sow seeds shallowly in rows spaced 12 inches apart. Keep soil consistently moist until germination occurs, typically within 7, 10 days at 60, 70°F.
Harvest Dragoon at 43 days when heads reach mature size and feel firm to gentle pressure. You can harvest individual outer leaves once the plant is large enough, or cut the entire head just above soil level with a sharp knife. For storage and processing, cut heads in the early morning when they're coolest and crispest. If you need extended storage, hold cut heads in a cooler at 35, 40°F for up to two weeks before processing into salad mix.
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