Cabbage Confusion and lettuce limbo

[horticultural_hobbit]

Afternoon, my lovelies...well it will be on pressing send...

I was hoping to get some greyhound cabbage sewn, not only just because, but after the peas and beans as well. Only I've been looking at bits and pieces, and I'm feeling a little put off that it might be too late. I realise that they may not heart up etc. Am thinking of sowing anyway, starting both butterhead lettuce and greyhound cabbage on the window sill. To then perhaps plant out into containers when they are three or four inches high.

Any advice?

[dave_norm_smith]

I'm sure somebody else will shout out but you may be better planting direct if you can keep the slugs and flying rats at bay. I tend to slice cabbage into ribbons and fry in butter and garlic so any leaves would work, whether its a full heart or not. Bang some in, you've lost nothing but pence if it doesn't work.

[Florence Fennel]

I've got some in cells waiting in the wings until I have the room to plant them. I sowed them a couple of weeks ago and they're doing nicely. I think they were Kilaxy, but not sure would have to go and look. I've had a great deal of success with Greyhound and as Dave says, you can eat the leaves anyway if it doesn't heart up. The slugs even invaded the cells so I lost about 6, but I'm sowing some replacements this weekend.

[Two_Sheds]

Lettuce won't germinate in high temps, so your windowsill's probably too hot. Start them off in a shady spot

[horticultural_hobbit]

Have legged it home from school via wilkos for some fresh sowing compost.

Yip, thanks, two_sheds, and Florence for the encouragement. Going to start them off in a shady bit by a fence in some cell things.

Got to wilkos and there weren't any four tiered greenhouses left not that I could have carried it home on the bus with everything else!

[Two_Sheds]

You don't need a gh for lettuce & cabbages

[horticultural_hobbit]

Nope, I don't.

But my last one died, and I would like another one to continue my horticultural hobbitry

[horticultural_hobbit]

pot on or not?


was thinking of putting these into small pots....

[horticultural_hobbit]

cabbage carnage and lettuce lunancy

I am grade A silly billy. I transplanted the seedlings to pots yesterday (dubious, as I read somewhere that Lettuces don't like this) and then left them somewhere warm. Went out, thought nothing of it. Have come back post bollywood shindig, and they'se so cooked through they were crispy! Cue mad dash with a watering can. Not all were crispy, the fleshier ones have been watered thoroughly. Pulled out the crispy ones and raided the seed box. AND THEN! In a flight of hysteria, knocked over the pots where caulis had been sown. So now feeling a major plonker, have sown more of those too. Gardening mojo has seriously taken a knock

[Thelma Sanders]

(shhh)It happens to us all at some point!
I'm soo clumsy it's untrue, so it happens to me an awful lot
Just deep breath and start again

[horticultural_hobbit]

Pops has just told me to pack up my pots as nothing is going to grow over winter....

....But I have the post distaster lettuces and cabbages to pot out!

They are being nibbled already a little bit by something. There are containers free from tendergreen beans and the runners, so I am thinking of putting lettuces and cabbages in. And there are random shaded patches in Pop's garden that I might be able to slot them into. I would love the cabbages and lettuces to come off. As for the cauli's post disaster, I have a seedling! One single solitary seedling, sat right next to the edge of the pot, hmph.

[Florence Fennel]

Carry on regardless Hobbit! All will be well in the end and if it isn't, just keep on trying.

[horticultural_hobbit]

How long does it take for lettuces to form lettuces? Two have these beautiful leaves lolling around as though drunk, they are in this terrocata window box thing. Others are forming nicely in a grow bag. I took a small leave that hadn't grown as it was bent, and chomped on it. It tasted, of lettuce, I was pleasantly surprised. Refrained from doing a small dance, since I've only just had breakfast.

But my heart is breaking with the greyhound cabbages. Are getting bigger, but chomped. There is no netting, but lots of slug pellets. Makes me half smile, there is the spine of one leaf that has been stripped entirely. I will definitely net next time, if only with net curtains.

[VirginVegGrower]

Net now after picking off culprits as cabbage white butterflies are still around.

[VirginVegGrower]

Not too late to sow salad leaves in seed trays - keep indoors. As TS says they hate heat - mine are in a west facing kitchen window.