Topic: Growing Salads in Hot weather

[Garden Manager]

I ned some advice/tips on growing salads - lettuce in particular in very hot weather.  My current crop of leaves is coming to an end and begining to bolt, I have tried starting off more plants from seed but germination/growth has been poor and I havent managed to get more than a handfull of plants to grow. I assume it it due to the weather - despite regular watering. I know well that lettuce seed doesnt germinate above 30 degrees (and we have had a lot of those temperatures lately), so what can I do? I shall soon be running out of the existing crop!

What i need to know is, whilst the seed wont germinate in high temps, will it still germinate if sown in these temperatures ready for when (if) it gets cool enough? or will the seed be harmed by the heat. Am I best to wait for cooler weather? (whenever that may be!)

Please advise, Thanks.

[davy1]

Garden Gadget, I had much the same proplem so i got some of those plastic mushroom boxes from the local shop. put about 2" of compost in and set my seeds away as norma covered the box with glass then a couple of layers of news paper and placed the box on the shade. they were thro in a couple of days My thinking was to create a bigger air gap between the soil and the glass so not to cause to much condensation.

[supersprout]

I start them off in modules on a north facing windowsill, three seeds to a module, and thin to one when it's time to plant. I let them get a little root-bound. They're growing off very well, planted very deep in a watered dibber hole and mulched :)

[busy_lizzie]

I am having the same problem on my plot Richard.  It is just too dry for them.  I have been bringing some pots of little gem and lollo rosso seedlings on, but they are doing very badly. They were in the greenhouse, not the best place at the moment, so I am  just trying them out of doors to see how they come on. This weather is just so hot this year. busy_lizzie

[redimp]

I have sown mixed salad leaves and lettuces together with spring onions in a window box and kept it well watered in a shady area of my garden.  Think I will keep doing this so I get salad crops all year round.  I plant out lettuce and things inbetween beans up at the plot.  They get plenty of shade if planted between climbing beans.