Growing Lettuce from Seed

[cwhaley]

Has anybody had success growing lettuce from seed? I’ve previously grown it for several years but only having been given it as a plug plant.


This year I thought I’d try growing Little Gem and Four Seasons from seed. All have germinated, but one month after planting they look like the attached. They have been kept on a bright windowsill and not overwatered (soil is always just damp). I've started putting them in the greenhouse and outside on warmer days.


Do these look normal? They are starting to look more ‘salad leaf-like’ but to me seem a bit droopy and slow growing!

 

[lostinthelight]

We grow everything from seed .
Yours look to have been on the widow sill too long and have been drawn to the light making them look what we call, gone straggly .
These were transplanted into a cold GH, a couple if weeks ago from 4 leaf seedlings...I would get yours out Asap and direct some more seed between in case.

 

[cwhaley]

Cheers for the quick reply there -- yours look how I was hoping mine would, so to sepak. Ah I wondered if that would be the issue... Yes I grow a modest amount from seen (peas, beans, carrot, cucumber, squash and tomato) but can't seem to manage with the lettuce!

Are you saying I should plant them out into their final positions or just put the trays outside? They've been in the greenhouse a few days now. I could start them again if needed, don't mind a later crop.

 

[lostinthelight]

You could plant some into final position with protection and some in GH for quick first crop.
Edit: thats plant direct into GH soil .

 

[cwhaley]

I'll do do that then! Mine are going to be kept in troughs (not the ground) so I will seed directly into those and keep in the greenhouse. I have the space in there to keep them permanently in there and saves worrying about pests as much.

 

[Mottie]

I've always grown mine from seed and then transplanted them into the ground. This year I have a greenhouse so I’m going to keep them inside for a change.

 

[cwhaley]

I've always grown mine from seed and then transplanted them into the ground. This year I have a greenhouse so I’m going to keep them inside for a change.

That's what had been happening before when I was given then as small plug plants. I have a greenhouse this year, too so will just grow from seed and keep outside in there. Planted them last night in the troughs

 

[Odds]

I used to grow lettuce from seed but it became so fiddly separating the seedlings and faffin' around transplanting them i stopped doing it and decided to pay for 'em. Only 60p at the s.market. I can see the sense if you eat a lot of salad but one a week is usually enough, so i find it simpler to buy, now.
It's an interesting challenge, though, getting them to term and they always taste better when you grow 'em yourself, right?

 

[cwhaley]

I used to grow lettuce from seed but it became so fiddly separating the seedlings and faffin' around transplanting them i stopped doing it and decided to pay for 'em. Only 60p at the s.market. I can see the sense if you eat a lot of salad but one a week is usually enough, so i find it simpler to buy, now.
It's an interesting challenge, though, getting them to term and they always taste better when you grow 'em yourself, right?

The difference in taste and quality is the reason why I'm persisting with home-grown salad! The shop-bought variety is sprayed and stored in a bag pumped full of nitrogen and other gases, and days old before it's on my plate. It's just that I've never done it from seed.

If the ones planted this week straight into troughs in the greenhouse do well, I'll stick to that. I know they can withstand a certain degree of cold temps and I wouldn't have to transplant them to a larger container. Will put pics on here later in the year.

 

[Mottie]

The difference in taste and quality is the reason why I'm pehttps://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/allotments.590372/rsisting with home-grown salad! The shop-bought variety is sprayed and stored in a bag pumped full of nitrogen and other gases, and days old before it's on my plate. It's just that I've never done it from seed.

If the ones planted this week straight into troughs in the greenhouse do well, I'll stick to that. I know they can withstand a certain degree of cold temps and I wouldn't have to transplant them to a larger container. Will put pics on here later in the year.

Feel free to add to the allotment thread. https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/allotments.590372/

 

[cwhaley]

Bit of an update...

I left the lettuce shown in my earlier post to grow, as well as setting some new ones. The previously leggy, weak-looking seedlings have now grown quite strongly. I've planted them into larger pots and given some away, as well as setting new ones (directly in the greenhouse). They're doing quite well I think, pic taken a week ago and they have grown quite a bit more since.

 

[Mottie]

The thing with lettuce and radish and cucumber and beetroot and and and..is to stagger the planting. If you don’t do that, you’ll end up with them all being ready to eat around the same time.

 

[cwhaley]

The thing with lettuce and radish and cucumber and beetroot and and and..is to stagger the planting. If you don’t do that, you’ll end up with them all being ready to eat around the same time.

Yes I should have considered it earlier really (in the past, I've grown veg where that approach isn't required).

I've also got just a couple of baby cucumbers growing, plus three different types of pepper (don't think they'll do well, so I'm experimenting).