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Post by desertwoman on Apr 27, 2019 8:15:48 GMT -5
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Post by Mumsey on Apr 27, 2019 8:26:32 GMT -5
Single seedling. I thin them to a couple inches apart and as they get bigger I keep thinning until they are far enough from each other.
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Post by tom 🕊 on Apr 27, 2019 9:26:41 GMT -5
When y'all thin your lettuce seedlings do you thin down to a single seedling or a little cluster of seedlings? I think you are speaking about gardening indoors or maybe in plastic cells in trays. I don't do that. I surface sow lettuce in a tire, water it in, and cover the tire with glass if it's cold or with screen if it's warm. When I dig the plants to transplant, I try to keep as much soil as possible on the roots, but many will be bare root. Transplants are watered in and covered with a pot for at least a day. |
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Post by tom 🕊 on Apr 27, 2019 16:00:05 GMT -5
to crop -- to remove the lower mature leaves of tobacco. That's local dialect that seems not to have made it into the dictionary. I have been cropping my lettuce for almost two months. First I used a knife to cut off the leaves. Then I found that I could harvest much more quickly by breaking them off the stalk, sometimes with a twist. How do you harvest lettuce?
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Post by desertwoman on Apr 27, 2019 16:53:59 GMT -5
I think you are speaking about gardening indoors or maybe in plastic cells No, I direct sow in the bed. And like mumsey, I thin to a single seedling and space them. But recently I saw lettuce starts at the nursery and there were several seedlings growing in a bunch in each cell, so it made me wonder. And those lettuce mixes they sell, obviously have several seedlings to each plant. How do you harvest lettuce? I simply take outermost leaves by breaking off by hand. I sometimes do a little twist, too. |
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Post by Mumsey on Apr 27, 2019 17:22:48 GMT -5
I've never paid any attention to lettuce seedlings in nurseries, in my mind I think it's absurd people would actually buy them!
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Post by tom 🕊 on Apr 27, 2019 17:25:31 GMT -5
I thin to a single seedling and space them. What is the spacing? Of course, it depends on the lettuce. As you may have notice from the pictures, I have a large lettuce and have one plant in each tire. My experience is that they grow better with such generous spacing, and space is the least of my worries. The parent of my lettuce was fasciated (a belt-like stalk. I saved the stalk as evidence.) and huge, but so far, none of the offspring, although good lettuce, have this trait. When I bought leeks that were grown in a clump in each cell, I dropped the cluster into water. The growth medium falls away from the roots, and then the leeks could be separated and planted with proper spacing. |
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Post by tom 🕊 on Apr 27, 2019 17:40:56 GMT -5
I've never paid any attention to lettuce seedlings in nurseries, in my mind I think it's absurd people would actually buy them! I don't find it absurd. Many have no confidence in growing plants. They expect to fail, and with enough negativity, they will most often fail. By buying plants they might possible gain the courage to learn how to grow something. |
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Post by binnylou on Apr 28, 2019 11:45:05 GMT -5
When I bought leeks that were grown in a clump in each cell, I dropped the cluster into water. The growth medium falls away from the roots, and then the leeks could be separated and planted with proper spacing. Thanks, tom 🕊. Hadn't thought of that idea. I planted leeks and shallots 3 to a cell. I figured I would just rip them apart. The babies will like your suggestion. |
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Post by Wheelgarden on May 13, 2019 18:51:45 GMT -5
After all these years, I finally got on the romaine boat and tried growing some. It's doing great, and we've been using the thinnings as they come. Best of all, my iceburg-centric Sweetie loves it. I might get her converted yet. There is hope. |
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Post by Mumsey on May 14, 2019 4:17:26 GMT -5
binnylou, Yesterday I did see that big "bowl" of lettuce they sell at Menards. It looked really nice, didn't even look at the price. The lettuces were really big. I guess since it's in a bowl you just put salad dressing on it and eat? 
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Post by Mumsey on May 14, 2019 4:20:01 GMT -5
Little Gem seedlings that I grew are doing well in the garden, but they don't look like they are making the typical romaine heads. Maybe they are too old? Time to start harvesting them. I have smaller seedlings there too, we'll see what they turn in to.
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Post by tom 🕊 on May 17, 2019 9:42:53 GMT -5
Lettuce going to seed. I cropped only a few of the bottom leaves but left the rest because the plants looked so pretty. I suspect that lettuce plants saved for seed will be healthier if the lower leaves are removed. Removing lower leaves removes pests and reduces the plant's need for water.  |
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Post by desertwoman on May 17, 2019 10:04:51 GMT -5
Wow, already! tom 🕊, My lettuce is still tiny. Is that black seeded simpson? |
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Post by tom 🕊 on May 17, 2019 10:21:25 GMT -5
Is that black seeded simpson? No, I did plant some black seeded simpson, which is also running up -- temperature in the 90's here now -- but the pictured lettuce is an unnamed mutation that occurred two years ago and which seems to grow best biennially, planted in the fall for spring harvest. The pictured plant on the right has a round stalk; the other two are fasciated (flat stalk) as was the parent plant. Didn't post a picture, but I also have a savoyed (bubbly leaf) darker green lettuce from the same seed. I've never before had such an abundance of lettuce and think that it is important to remove the bottom leaves of lettuce intended for seed. |
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