Is it worth sowing winter lettuces in PT now?

[danmow]

I bought a load of Arctic King and Marvel of 4 Seasons seeds but never bothered to plant them, and I'm considering starting them now in the greenhouse.

Just wondering if there's any point with the low light?

Don't want to end up with leggy plants.

[WendyC]

Personally I wouldn't bother. Even if they did germinate the light levels are too low as you suspected.

[veggiechicken]

If you have the space and the seeds, give it a go. Even if they do go leggy you can still eat them like cut and come again.

[danmow]

Cheers guys. I ight give one or two a go then see what happens. Suppose even if growth is really slow they might get going again in early spring.

[veggiechicken]

Don't you love it when you get different answers to a question
Now you've made your own decision. Let us know how they grow

[lottie dolly]

I have thought about sowing lettuce seed spread thin a pot or 2,on the kitchen window cill,like you say VC,just use the leaves,i do happen to have quite a few of them,
I also have some weston pills on the go,but they gone really leggy

[veggiechicken]

Whats a "weston pill" Lottie?

[Scoot]

I'm always itchy as anything to start growing things again but with the light levels like they are at the minute, i think I'll wait until February (the 1st lol) before i start growing things again. That's my date of the year i start sowing things again. It's when my tomatoes, onions and carrots all get sown. Less than 2 months to go...

[lottie dolly]

I had better answer this ASP,before BM makes assumptions,
It is a lettuce called weston pills,a compact butter head,for indoor autumn and winter production......grows well in a cold greenhouse,
there are only 50 coated seeds in the pkt,and all 12 sprung up,tomoz i had better pop em in the poly,

[danmow]

Why is it that some plants go leggy and others stop growing then start up again when it gets warmer. Is it to do with the temperature slowing everything down?

[danmow]

I'm always itchy as anything to start growing things again but with the light levels like they are at the minute, i think I'll wait until February (the 1st lol) before i start growing things again. That's my date of the year i start sowing things again. It's when my tomatoes, onions and carrots all get sown. Less than 2 months to go...

I know the feeling, I might have to follow your example :P

[Penellype]

Why is it that some plants go leggy and others stop growing then start up again when it gets warmer. Is it to do with the temperature slowing everything down?

Different plants have different requirements. Winter lettuces are bred to be tolerant of low light levels and are therefore less likely to go leggy than the summer types. I've just sown some emerald oak, which are supposed to be very early, and I've already got winter gem on the go. But then I will sow all sorts over winter for tiny baby fresh leaves grown on my windowsill or in the grow light garden

[Lisasbolt]

lettuce seeds are so cheap and some come with 100´s if not 1000´s in a packet. I have a unfair advantage but i grow lettuce all winter in my PT, better in winter than summer if some do not like it they soon get added to salads as baby leaves so lovely and tasty (like others have said)

[Scarlet]

Salad leaves for all seasons by Charles Dowding is worth a read. It's brilliant and I follow it often. He says "from late Nov to March it's only true winter plants which make worthwhile leaves" and then it's only small pickings.I think you need plenty of plants to make a bowl of salad.
For winter salad plants, sowings that are made in Sept will give you lettuce albeit small leaves. Lettuce seed is cheap but sowing mid January won't put on much growth in their early days but will pick up in March.so a little head start but as said before, later sowings will catch up.
Again from his book:
"Sowing lettuce in late Jan/feb - 7-8weeks to pick. Sowing in March - 6-7 weeks "
I'll be sowing mine mid feb, that seems to work for me. Sown in modules on the kitchen window to germinate and then put in the GH to grow on.

[alldigging]

Why is it that some plants go leggy and others stop growing then start up again when it gets warmer. Is it to do with the temperature slowing everything down?

Light intensity and duration.