Gordini is a compact summer crisp lettuce bred for gardeners who want full heads in just 50 days from transplants. This open-pollinated variety grows tight and neat, reaching full maturity in the cool shoulder seasons when lettuce thrives best. It germinates between 60, 70°F and prefers the 60, 65°F sweet spot where lettuce develops its crispest texture. Gordini handles frost, so you can plant it early in spring and stretch your harvest deep into fall.
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Gordini arrives as a fresh addition to the crisp lettuce lineup, labeled as new by Johnny's Selected Seeds. Its compact growth habit means you can tuck it into tight garden spaces, spacing plants just 6 inches apart in rows 12 inches wide. The variety resists both Downy Mildew and Lettuce Mosaic Virus, two of the most common threats to lettuce crops. Because it's open-pollinated, you can save seed from your best plants year after year.
Gordini is grown for fresh harvest as a head lettuce, ready to pick and eat raw in salads. The compact growth habit and quick maturity from transplants make it especially useful for succession planting; you can sow new transplants every 2, 3 weeks to maintain a steady supply of crisp heads through the growing season.
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Start Gordini seeds indoors at temperatures between 60, 70°F, keeping germination conditions cool. Sow 6, 8 weeks before your target transplant date. Germination germinates best below 70°F, so avoid warm seed-starting mats. Each ounce contains approximately 16,000 seeds. If using pelleted seed, plan to plant within one year of purchase and store in a cool, dark, dry place or in an airtight container if refrigerated.
Transplant Gordini as soon as soil can be worked in spring, even while frost is still possible; this variety is frost-tolerant. Harden off seedlings gradually over 7, 10 days. Space transplants 6 inches apart in rows 12 inches wide. Plant when soil has warmed to at least 50°F. For a continuous supply, transplant new seedlings every 2, 3 weeks.
Harvest Gordini heads when they reach full size and feel firm to the touch, typically 50 days after transplanting. Cut the head at the base with a sharp knife. For a one-cut harvest, you can extend the season in cold weather by holding cut heads in a cooler for up to two weeks before processing into salad mix.
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