Cos Lettuce leaves turned bronze??

[HelenLee]

Hi I'm new to this forum (and quite new to growing veg!) I hope someone can help!

I planted out about 40 Cos Lettuce plants about 8 weeks ago that I had grown from seed in the greenhouse. They had lovely green leaves and looked healthy.

Within 48 hours of me planting them in my raised bed, the leaves had turned a deep bronze colour... they've not died off they're still growing strong and making nice sized plants, but all the leaves are bronze! In the centre of the plant they're coming through green but then turning colour as they grow.

The seed packet definitely shows green plants so it's not the variety, and I also planted 1 left over plant in compost in a container, so it can't be the soil I don't think!

Anyone got any ideas what's going on? Will they still be ok to eat?

Helen

[zazen999]

Hi Helen.

Welcome to the Vine.

This happens all the time to many lettuces; as soon as they get outside they change colour. Although, it usually happens to lettuces that are known to be red; lollo rosso for example, for me, starts green and changes overnight once it is planted outside.

It might be that your lettuce has a red trait or that it isn't green cos at all......but it will be absolutely fine to eat. Sometimes they put the wrong seeds in the packet.

[HelenLee]

ah that's interesting, thank you! They look really healthy still so my main concern was that I could still eat them! I'll let you know how they turn out!!

Thanks for getting back to me!

[gojiberry]

Look on it as a bonus, you'll be able to charge friends and family an extra 10p per lettuce for coloured ones. Ha! Ha!

Ian

[Bren In Pots]

I've found that birds don't seem to make a meal of red like they do green lettuce so that's a bonus.

[HelenLee]

ha ha all good then! I'm curious to know what it'll taste like now!!