Eden Seeds
Lettuce First Fleet Seeds
$3.90
Unit price perLactuca sativa
First Fleet is a truly classic Australian heirloom Lettuce with a remarkable connection to the earliest days of European agriculture in Australia. Seed of this historic type arrived with the First Fleet in 1788 and was planted at Sydney’s first farm, established at Farm Cove on land that is now part of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.
An open-hearted Cos type, First Fleet produces loose heads of crunchy, ruffled leaves in attractive shades of green and red. The leaves have excellent texture and flavour and can be harvested individually as required or allowed to develop into a generous open head.
Hardy, disease resistant and slow to bolt, this lettuce has become well adapted to Australian growing conditions over its long history here. Its resilience makes it a particularly worthwhile variety for gardeners interested in growing vegetables with both practical value and genuine Australian provenance.
Lettuce is one of the world’s oldest cultivated salad vegetables, grown for thousands of years and spreading through the ancient Mediterranean world. Cos or Romaine lettuces are distinguished by their elongated, upright growth and crisp leaves, although First Fleet retains a looser, more open habit than many modern Cos varieties.
Like most lettuces, First Fleet prefers fertile, well-drained soil with a near-neutral pH and consistent moisture. Some afternoon shade can help extend production as temperatures rise.
Seed count: approximately 600–1,000 seeds/g
Approximately 200 seeds per packet
When to Plant (Australia)
Tropics: Autumn to winter
Subtropics: Autumn to spring
Mild climates: Autumn to spring
Cold climates: Spring to autumn
Planting / Sowing
Sow shallowly, approximately 3–5 mm deep, directly into prepared soil or raise in trays for transplanting. Lettuce seed needs only a light covering and germinates best in cool to mild conditions.
Space plants approximately 20–30 cm apart for full-sized plants, or sow more closely for baby-leaf harvesting. Grow in full sun during cooler weather or provide some afternoon shade as temperatures increase.
Keep soil consistently moist to encourage crisp, tender growth and reduce stress that can cause bitterness or premature bolting. Harvest individual outer leaves regularly while leaving the centre intact for continued production, or harvest the whole plant once it reaches the desired size.
For seed savers, First Fleet is an especially worthwhile variety to preserve. Lettuce is predominantly self-pollinating, making it relatively straightforward to maintain true to type with sensible separation from other flowering lettuce varieties.
Due to quarantine restrictions, TAS has an 800g limit per each seed variety and WA has a 10,000 seeds limit per variety.
Lettuce First Fleet Seeds
$3.90
Unit price per
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Lactuca sativa
First Fleet is a truly classic Australian heirloom Lettuce with a remarkable connection to the earliest days of European agriculture in Australia. Seed of this historic type arrived with the First Fleet in 1788 and was planted at Sydney’s first farm, established at Farm Cove on land that is now part of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.
An open-hearted Cos type, First Fleet produces loose heads of crunchy, ruffled leaves in attractive shades of green and red. The leaves have excellent texture and flavour and can be harvested individually as required or allowed to develop into a generous open head.
Hardy, disease resistant and slow to bolt, this lettuce has become well adapted to Australian growing conditions over its long history here. Its resilience makes it a particularly worthwhile variety for gardeners interested in growing vegetables with both practical value and genuine Australian provenance.
Lettuce is one of the world’s oldest cultivated salad vegetables, grown for thousands of years and spreading through the ancient Mediterranean world. Cos or Romaine lettuces are distinguished by their elongated, upright growth and crisp leaves, although First Fleet retains a looser, more open habit than many modern Cos varieties.
Like most lettuces, First Fleet prefers fertile, well-drained soil with a near-neutral pH and consistent moisture. Some afternoon shade can help extend production as temperatures rise.
Seed count: approximately 600–1,000 seeds/g
Approximately 200 seeds per packet
When to Plant (Australia)
Tropics: Autumn to winter
Subtropics: Autumn to spring
Mild climates: Autumn to spring
Cold climates: Spring to autumn
Planting / Sowing
Sow shallowly, approximately 3–5 mm deep, directly into prepared soil or raise in trays for transplanting. Lettuce seed needs only a light covering and germinates best in cool to mild conditions.
Space plants approximately 20–30 cm apart for full-sized plants, or sow more closely for baby-leaf harvesting. Grow in full sun during cooler weather or provide some afternoon shade as temperatures increase.
Keep soil consistently moist to encourage crisp, tender growth and reduce stress that can cause bitterness or premature bolting. Harvest individual outer leaves regularly while leaving the centre intact for continued production, or harvest the whole plant once it reaches the desired size.
For seed savers, First Fleet is an especially worthwhile variety to preserve. Lettuce is predominantly self-pollinating, making it relatively straightforward to maintain true to type with sensible separation from other flowering lettuce varieties.
Due to quarantine restrictions, TAS has an 800g limit per each seed variety and WA has a 10,000 seeds limit per variety.
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