Harvested on March 25th
There aren't many varieties of radicchio that will grow in Kihei, even during our coolest weather. I planted Fiero seeds in December. They were slow to get growing but began to respond as the daylight increased.
In Kihei, Fiero grew similar to a loose-leaf lettuce. They were tolerant of full sun and temps in the low 80's until early April. Radicchios have thicker leaves and keep a lot longer than most varieties of lettuce.
Still growing on April 26th
Click the link above for a very economical way to grow salad greens.
Anuenue - Chijimisai
Anuenue (2) - Anuenue
All Year Round Butterhead - Giant Caeser
Outside of our coolest weather, lettuce is not easy to grow in Kihei. This spring, I trialed several lettuces that were noted to be heat tolerant. All of these seeds were planted in March when the temps were in the low 80's. I will definitely be planting them again.
Chijimisai is a cross between Tatsoi and Komatsuna. It's used like spinach, in salads, stir-fry's or harvested as baby greens.
Giant Caesar & Year Round Butterhead
Ready to harvest in early May
Giant Caesar was the earliest, grew the largest and lasted in
the refrigerator the longest. I highly recommend this variety if you're looking for a lettuce that has some heat tolerance in Kihei during the spring.
I purchased Fiero at Johnny's Selected Seeds. Anuenue is widely available. Chijimisai is available at Baker Creek, All Year Round Butterhead was purchased at Victory Seeds and Giant Caeser on Etsy. Etsy has very competitive prices on most seeds.
