Lettuce growing.

 

I dont know that much about growing veg, first time this spring/summer.

The first couple of batches of lettuce did fine, First batch was mignonettes,
planted from seedlings from bunnings, transplanted early sep, took a bit of
time to start but then did fine. Second batch was cos, planted mid oct
from seedlings from bunnings again.

They both went to seed after a very hot spell in mid Nov, got quite a few leaves
to eat until then.

I've since planted some more icebers, 'salad mix', cos, and lollo rossa, mostly
from seedings from bunnings, but the salad mix from someone flogging them
at the sunday market.

None of them have done much except the icebergs.
They havent died,  just havent done much growth wise.

The icebergs did grow noticeably, up to big bigger than a large grapefruit size,
but no hearts. Since the first two batches had gone to seed I did start using
leaves off the small icebergs. Now even the icebergs seen to have stopped.

We have had much hotter weather obviously, in fact a couple of patches
of a week or so over 40C, with some rather cooler times in between.

They get plenty of water, once a day from one of those
soaker hoses that sort of weep water rather than spray it.

Is it just that they dont like the very hot weather ?

The net seems to suggest that thats the problem.

Are there any varietys that do much better in the very hot weather ?

 

Rod Speed wrote:

Yes.  I give up on lettuce in summer.  Despite being seen as a summer salad
vege, in a hot climate they grow best in autumn and spring and will do OK in
winter, most will stand a light frost.



If you find out let me know.  I have tried some lablelled "slow bolting" but
they didn't seem any better.

David

 

David Hare-Scott wrote

planted from seedlings from bunnings,

batch was cos, planted mid oct from

leaves to eat until then.


mostly from seedings from bunnings, but the

I did start using leaves off the small

week or so over 40C, with some rather

vege, in a hot climate they grow best in

they didn't seem any better.

Just been down the nursery, and the woman said that she just planted
a punnet of Vegie Patch's Lettuce Combo last week and was already
eating leaves off it this week. The label doesnt say exactly what the
variety is, part of the mix looks like a red leafed cos and the rest
has more wrinkly leaves and is light green. She did sort of imply
that it was only one of the varietys that was so spectacular, so
I will plant the punnet this evening and see how it goes.

 

Rod Speed wrote:

took a

flogging

did

One obvious question that occurs is where is the
lettuce thats in the supermarkets coming from ?

 



Lettuces were originally a winter crop. It was selection of plants that
could withstand hotter conditions in summer that sees us have them all year
round. I would guess that they are not good over 35C as most would have been
developed in the northern hemisphere. Lettuce prices in real hot weather go
through the roof so it would make sense. My uncle has success over summer in
a shadehouse so maybe the sunlight is to intense outdoors.