Lettuce Thinning?

[WiZeR]

Hi

About the only thing that seems to be growing at the moment is the lettuce.



Are these shoots a bit too leggy? Should I be thinning to one plant per cell?

[nick the grief]

they are a bit Wizer, but you can always try putting them a bit deeper when you thin them out.

[blossom]

Mine have grown like that and then fallen over. This is the first time I have grown lettice and I have had them in the house. Should I bung the next lot in the plastic green house? And I am planning on growing them in grow bags. When would I put them into the grow bags, and how far apart (little gem)?

Thanks, and sorry wizer for pinching some of your thread.

[nick the grief]

they won't pull so much if they are grown cool Blossom, it's the heat that does this to them. As to final spacings 6"-9" depending how big you want them I guess. I usually plant some between the ridges of the spuds as I earth up straight away & put then about 9" apart. they are usually gone by the time the spuds foiliage is covering them.

[Suspect Sprout]

Hmm, was going to ask similar questions myself as my lettuces are the first to show themselves!!

At what stages do I transplant them to the garden, in a few weeks?

[nick the grief]

Depends what sort they are SS, but yes once (if) the weather warms up. If you have a cloche you can put up, all the better as it will warm the ground up then when you plant out it will give them some protection.

[WiZeR]

thanks, i'll start them again

[Emma]

No sign of my lettuces yet but I'll bear in mind the comment about the heat. My first crop to show it's face was the cucumbers!! Germinated in my kitchen (only got greenhouse heater today) in 60 hours!!!

[nick the grief]

Cue's are fast off the mark (and the rest of the family as well) so make sure you kep them going & don't be afraid to pot them on into a bigger pot if needed.

[sewer rat]

My cukes were about the same period of time from sowing to germinating last year. I had them in 3" pots but had to move them on up fairly quickly - keep an eye on them.

[SueA]

thanks, i'll start them again

You don't need to abandon the ones you've got, just prick out individual seedlings & pot each one into a 3in pot with the seed leaves just above the compost, be careful not to damage the stem though & they should grow O.K. They're probably a bit leggy because they're not getting enough light & the tray should be turned round regularly (each day if poss.) so that they don't lean over in one direction straining to get to the light.

[SueA]

Mine have grown like that and then fallen over. This is the first time I have grown lettice and I have had them in the house. Should I bung the next lot in the plastic green house? And I am planning on growing them in grow bags. When would I put them into the grow bags, and how far apart (little gem)?

Thanks, and sorry wizer for pinching some of your thread.

They should be O.K. started off in the house as long as they are getting enough light, then move them out to the plastic greenhouse when they have grown a little to harden them off. Little gem are quite small & you should get about 8 in a grow bag, the closer together they are the smaller the lettuce so it just depends on how big you want them to be.

[Alice]

I started my little gem on the windowsill a couple of weeks ago. They now have 6 real leaves and they're out in an unheated greenhouse in 4" pots and doing well. I cover them with fleece at night. Will keep planting for a succession.

[nick the grief]

I would you could have grown them to maturity in a 4" or 6" pot Alice as they don't want to be too big. Make sure they don't dry Out & and don't let them get too much direct sun as they might scorch in the greenhouse.

You could make a sort of tent for them with open sides & fleece on top as this will shade them from Bright sun.