Lactuca sativa ‘Parris Island Cos’
In case you might mix all the great options of recent lettuce cultivars and all of the superior traits of heirloom cultivars, you’d get one thing like ‘Parris Island Cos.’
This cultivar has the tight heads, disease- and bolt-resistance of recent crops, coupled with crisp, candy leaves, and delicate white hearts of some heirlooms.
The heads develop giant, as much as a foot tall, however don’t grow to be robust or bitter regardless of their dimension.
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This cultivar is proof against bolting and may tolerate some drought and loads of warmth, all whereas forming flavorful heads made up of completely cupped leaves.
On the lookout for among the finest romaine choices on the market? You discovered it. This information will clarify all the pieces it’s best to find out about rising this stellar cultivar.
Right here’s what’s on the menu:
Earlier than we get our fingers soiled, it helps to know a bit about the place this plant comes from, and that’s what we’ll talk about first.
Cultivation and Historical past
‘Parris Island Cos’ is the kid of ‘PI 120965’ and ‘Darkish Inexperienced Cos,’ the latter of which is thought for its darkish inexperienced, candy, gentle leaves which can be excellent in Caesar salads.
It was bred by Clemson Faculty’s Agricultural Experiment Station in 1951 in Charleston, South Carolina, to thrive within the warmth and humidity of the southern local weather; and was launched by Ferry Morse in the identical 12 months.
It’s a romaine-type that was named for Parris Island in South Carolina, and “cos” is one other identify for romaine.
Generally, this cultivar is simply listed as ‘Parris Island.’ Don’t fear if the “cos” is missing, it’s nonetheless the identical wonderful plant.
Propagation ‘Parris Island Cos’
If you wish to begin plenty of crops, seeds are the way in which to go. In case you simply want one, search for a seedling at your native nursery.
However, since they’re really easy to start out from seed, may as properly go that route. Let’s discuss seed beginning.
From Seed
About 4 weeks earlier than the final predicted frost date, begin your seeds indoors. It’s also possible to begin them indoors within the late summer time for rising within the fall.
Fill seed trays or particular person four-inch pots with seed beginning combine and sow the seeds three inches aside. Or, you may scatter them over the tray with the concept of thinning the seedlings afterward. The seeds ought to be about an eighth of an inch deep.
Place the containers or seed-starting trays in an space that receives a number of hours of direct gentle or vivid, oblique gentle. Hold the soil moist however not moist till they germinate, which ought to solely take per week or so.
When the seedlings are about two inches tall, skinny them to about three inches aside.
As soon as the seedlings are about three or 4 inches tall and the final predicted frost date has handed, you may transplant them out into the backyard. Earlier than you try this, harden the seedlings off. This course of is simple but it surely takes a few week, so you could plan forward.
To harden them off, take the seedlings exterior for an hour in the course of the morning or early afternoon and set them within the space the place you plan to plant. Then, take them again inside.
The following day, add one other hour. Hold including an hour every day over the course of per week. Now the crops are able to go to their everlasting residence.
It’s also possible to direct sow seeds after the final predicted frost date.
Both broadcast the seeds and bear in mind to skinny them after germination, or house your seeds six to 12 inches aside. Hold the soil evenly moist and free from weeds till the crops are established.
From Seedlings
In case you begin your individual seedlings indoors or buy nursery begins, you’re going to need to get them within the floor or a bigger rising container sooner or later.
After I say a bigger container, don’t panic. This cultivar solely wants a container that’s about six inches in diameter for every plant. A very powerful factor is that it has drainage holes.
One of many glorious traits of ‘Parris Island Cos’ is that the heads develop extraordinarily compact and upright.
You may actually pack them into the backyard and develop lots of crops in a small spot.
Plant them about 12 inches aside, however you will get away with half that when you promise you’ll be watering on the soil degree and never on the leaves. Anticipate barely smaller heads when you pack them in.
While you’re able to transplant, amend the soil with some well-rotted compost to enhance drainage and water retention, and so as to add vitamins.
Dig a gap the scale of the rising container and gently take away the seedling from its rising pot.
Decrease the plant into the opening you made and agency the soil or potting combine across the roots. Water properly so the soil is moist however not moist.
In case you’re meaning to develop your lettuce in containers, use a potting combine formulated for greens.
Develop ‘Parris Island Cos’
As I discussed, this cultivar was bred to thrive within the sizzling, humid local weather of coastal South Carolina. That’s not the type of local weather that the majority lettuces usually thrive in – they usually like cool climate greatest.
‘Parris Island Cos’ can tolerate drought and warmth with out bolting. It may possibly even tolerate poor soil, to some extent. Considerably sandy or clay soil gained’t section it a lot.
Nonetheless, if you would like the biggest, sweetest, healthiest heads, present free, organically-rich soil. I don’t have excellent soil in my backyard, and I’m betting you don’t both.
However since lettuce doesn’t have a big root system, you may amend your current soil fairly simply to make it good in your ‘Parris Island Cos.’
Dig down six inches deep and a foot broad per plant, take away any rocks and work within the compost. Fill the realm again in with the blended soil.
It’s additionally simple to develop in a window field, container, or raised mattress stuffed with potting or raised mattress soil.
Study extra about the best way to develop lettuce in containers in our information.
The crops want at the very least 4 hours of direct gentle per day, although as much as eight is healthier. In case you dwell in an space that will get tremendous sizzling every now and then, even within the spring or fall, you may need to give the crops some afternoon shade.
No matter the place you develop them, if the temperatures climb above 80°F for any size of time, put an umbrella or shade fabric over the crops and provides them an additional dose of water.
Talking of water, ‘Parris Island Cos’ will develop and style greatest if supplied with constant moisture, by no means letting the soil utterly dry out or grow to be too moist.
The soil ought to at all times really feel like a well-wrung-out sponge. That mentioned, this cultivar will tolerate some drought with out compromising taste or texture an excessive amount of.
Because you used contemporary potting soil or labored in compost to the soil at planting time there is no such thing as a want for fertilizer.
Rising Suggestions
- Present 4 to eight hours of solar per day.
- Hold the soil persistently moist.
- Shade crops when temperatures climb over 80°F.
Upkeep
Every now and then, the outer leaves may develop spots, brown or yellow areas, or grow to be broken.
Pluck these off earlier than they grow to be a drag on the remainder of the plant.
In any other case, you don’t have to do something however water and hold a watch out for pests and illnesses when rising ‘Parris Island Cos.’
The place to Purchase ‘Parris Island Cos’
‘Parris Island Cos’ has lengthy been a favourite of business growers due to its uniform heads and fast development, however this cultivar has additionally grow to be standard with residence growers.
Meaning yow will discover it in plenty of locations the place lettuce seeds are bought.
‘Parris Island Cos’
Burpee, for instance, sells packs of 1,000 seeds.
Or, when you’re in search of a wider vary of amount choices, from small packets to bulk, go to True Leaf Market.
Managing Pests and Illness
‘Parris Island Cos’ is extra proof against illnesses than many different cultivars on the market.
However rabbits and deer find it irresistible simply as a lot as every other lettuce they will get their enamel on. When you have common bunny or deer guests, contemplate rising your crops in containers on a patio or porch.
Or you could possibly cowl them utterly in a wire cage. That gained’t defend them from slugs, although.
Slugs and snails are the opposite main menace to your lettuce harvest. If they arrive to go to, use your favourite pellet or different slug management methodology.
I usually develop my lettuce in wall-mounted containers as a result of the slugs in my space are relentless.
However they don’t appear to search out the crops hanging 5 ft up on the facet of my storage. The lengths we’ll go to with a view to keep away from pests, proper?
In case you’d wish to strive some wall-hanging planters, these from the Summer season Flower retailer at Amazon are glorious as a result of they’re the appropriate dimension, have good drainage, and are available in a wide range of colours.
Summer season Flower Wall Hanging Planters
Wouldn’t or not it’s superior if there was lettuce that was resistant to insect pests like aphids, beetles, caterpillars, and fungus gnats? Sorry, that hasn’t been bred (but).
’Parris Island Cos’ is a tasty meal for all types of pests, leading to holey leaves, yellowing, and spreading illnesses. Learn our information to lettuce pests to study extra concerning the widespread bugs that feed on lettuce and the best way to take care of them.
This cultivar is proof against mosaic virus. It’s considerably vulnerable to widespread lettuce illnesses like leaf spot, smooth rot, damping off, and downy mildew.
If one thing doesn’t look proper together with your crops, learn our information to lettuce illnesses to establish the issue and learn to deal with it.
Harvesting
The entire, mature heads are prepared in 70 days, however the younger leaves are good to go every time they attain a dimension that you simply like.
The younger leaves are scrumptious, and this cultivar is extraordinarily standard as a child leaf sort. In case you enable the heads to mature, they’ve a light taste and completely cupped form that makes them a go-to for stuffing.
Use a pair of unpolluted scissors to clip off leaves as you want them, or use a clear knife to slice off your entire head as near the soil as you may.
Study extra about the best way to harvest lettuce in our information.
Preserving
In 2020, researchers on the USDA’s Agricultural Analysis Service led by geneticist Ivan Simko discovered that this cultivar retains higher than most different romaine sorts after harvesting.
I’ve been capable of retailer the heads and leaves for a number of weeks within the crisper drawer with a desiccant.
I wrap them in a paper towel and put them inside a plastic bag, they usually keep contemporary for an absurdly very long time, in comparison with different lettuces.
Recipes and Cooking Concepts
Two phrases: Caesar salad. I’ve by no means discovered one other cultivar that works as properly in a Caesar salad as ‘Parris Island Cos.’
It doesn’t matter when you like your salad anchovy-heavy (raises hand) just like the one from our sister website, Foodal, or favor a vegetarian choice, this lettuce ought to be the bottom.
Actually, any salad tastes superior with ‘Parris Island Cos.’ In case you like lettuce wraps, it’s additionally the right selection.
Fast Reference Rising Information
| Plant Kind: | Annual vegetable | Water Wants: | Reasonable |
| Origins: | Mediterranean area | Tolerance: | Frost, cool temperatures |
| Hardiness (USDA Zone): | 2-11 | Upkeep: | Low |
| Season: | Spring, fall | Soil Kind: | Loamy, free |
| Publicity: | Full solar to partial shade | Soil pH: | 5.8-6.5 |
| Time to Maturity: | 70 days | Soil Drainage: | Effectively-draining |
| Spacing: | 6-12 inches | Companion Planting: | Beets, carrots, dill, kale, onions, Swiss chard |
| Planting Depth: | 1/8 inch (seeds), identical depth as nursery container (transplants) | Keep away from Planting With: | Brassicas, melons, squash |
| Top: | 12 inches | Household: | Asteraceae |
| Unfold: | 6 inches | Genus: | Lactuca |
| Development Fee: | Quick | Species: | Sativa |
| Frequent Pests and Illnesses: | Deer, rabbits; Aphids, beetles, caterpillars, fungus gnats; backside rot, damping off, downy mildew, and leaf spot | Cultivar: | Parris Island Cos |
Get pleasure from a Journey to the Islands
In case you’ve struggled to develop lettuce as a result of the temperatures get too sizzling in your space, little doubt you’ll be rejoicing now that you simply’ve discovered this selection.
How do you propose to make use of the leaves? What’s your favourite recipe? Share with us within the feedback part under.
And for extra details about rising lettuce in your backyard, take a look at these guides subsequent: