Lettuce issues!!

[windowsillqueen]

Can anyone give me some advice?

I really want to grow my own lettuce throughout summer, as I use so much. For the past three years I have sown seeds indoors in May and kept them on the windowsill. They always get to seedling stage and then never do anything else - they just go long and stringy rather than growing out.

I have planted buttercrunch, lollo rosso, little gem, funly and new red fire this year. As you can see I have also planted earlier.

The seedlings have come up and I have now transfered them to window boxes around 15 cm apart. I have covered each seedling with a home-made plastic cloche. NOW - I've put them in the unheated utility room - should I still have them on a warmer windowsill or was the heat the problem with my seedlings in previous years?

I just want to live my dream and pick my own lettuce leaves each evening - why have I got such toxic fingers!!!!

[HayleyB]

Welcome to the madvine Charlie

Sounds like they've been getting too warm, so your unheated utility room is probably best for them. I've been growing various salad greens all over winter in an unheated conservatory - mizuna, rocket and mustard leaf.

[TimH]

I too have a issue with Stringy lettuce seedlings, I've moved them from a warm kitchen window to a unheated greenhouse. Hope they do better.

[zazen999]

Too warm.

We have lettuce all year round. Sow winter ones in the autumn and summer ones all through the spring - never indoors - just match the type to the season and sow a few regularly.

Have you got anywhere outdoors to grow them?

[Alice]

Lettuce don't want to be too warm Windowsill Queen. Have you anywhere outside where you could grow them - even the outside of the windowsill.

[windowsillqueen]

Ahhh - so the warm was my problem. Actually, I have a huge garden but a nasty layer of clay and very bad drainage probs. I am getting around to making some raised beds, but so many other jobs first. Consequently I try to grow everything initially on the windowsills and then in pots. (I'm in Huddersfield, England). The utility room is very cold, so they are in there now under little plastic bottle cloches. Fingers crossed things go better -

A couple more questions for you clever green fingered people:

1. Should I just take the cloches off and stop being over protective?
2. Will rocket like cold better as well? (just got some seeds)
3. Do lettuce cope with awful soil - could I risk trying to dig over a corner of the garden and popping them straight in the ground?

I can not tell you how happy I am to have found this forum. I have found my spiritual home, confessional and teachers all at the same time. I no longer have to go this alone....

Mwah x

[selfraising]

Hi my rocket has been outside all over winter and is just starting to come up again, so I don't think cold will be a problem

[Victoria26]

Sweetie I have always just sown the seeds in my garden. Space them out depending on variety and 2 seeds per space. I have lettuce all year. I think your just trying too hard. Lettuce dont mind different soils. Either that or sow them in containers outside!

just go for it - gardenings all about experimenting!

[zazen999]

Or just sow into a seed tray once a month and leave outdoors. Make sure you have adequate slug protection though.

[tamsin]

I think it's the indoors bit that's the problem. I don't know if it's a little cold up your way to be outside now but certainly in May it would be fine outside. I've mine outside in a plastic greenhouse at the moment. I would keep yours in the utility room (not under bottles) until they germinate, then if you can move them outside under the bottles in day and inside in the utility room at night for a few weeks before leaving them out.

[bramble]

Welcome windowsill Queen, Just wondering are your lettuce plants getting enough light in your utility room. If not this would also make the plants stringy.
Good luck with your growing. Try everything, its the only to learn.

[Two_Sheds]

For the past three years I have sown seeds indoors in May and kept them on the windowsill.

May is warm. Nothing needs to be sown indoors in May.


Windowsills are useful for pre-May, when there is still frost about

[HayleyB]

I've had rocket, mizuna and mibuna under snow twice and it's still growing, I had some indoors over Winter for convenience but in an unheated conservatory. I have bad clay and find grow bags handy in the summer for lollo and greens especially for cut and come again.