Topic: Lettuce transplant disaster

[antipodes]

Hello. I had prepared some lettuce seedlings. Err, think they are/were butter and some oakleaf cut and come again. Anyway I waited till they had a few true leaves, then I thought I had better plant them. So I put out some black plastic sheeting, over dug up, raked soil and put them in holes in the sheeting, with a good watering. 3 days later they look...err well dead.
Does anyone spot the error in this scenario? Should I just have put them straight in the ground? Is the support wrong? It is warm and sunny here (w. France) so don't think it is the weather. Any hints? I have some more seeds sprouting at home and don't want a repeat performance!
Just FYI - i have no greenhouse, I do the seeds on my kitchen windowsill. The tomatoes seem to have done well this way...
Thanks for any help you can give.

[markfield rover]

We have always put our seedling straight into bare soil ,our slugs would love the protection of the
plastic! but the lettuces do take a few days to recover, on the whole they are pretty hardy .I think
we employ the same labelling system, bound to remember!!!

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

it's best not to move stuff from indoors or under glass straight out into the ground, I think. Plants aren't able to cope with the sudden exposure to lots of sunlight and UV (or wind). Best to harden them off for a week or so in a sheltered spot outdoors first before planting out proper. (i'm assuming you've got unseasonal lovely weather too)

[windygale]

Hi, sorry to hear about the lettuce, i hope this helps,
the soil preparation sound fine (the same as what i i have done for mine) can you explain dead, have the leave shrived up, have they gone brown & crispy, or are they just wilted, limp, these conditions can be caused by, not harding off (placing them out side during the day time allowing the plants to get use to the normal weather conditions,(the day temperture may rises to much, and you may have to give them some shade while they grow as it may be to hot), wind, sun, and colder temperatures, rather them the home they lived in, coldframes, greenhouse, windowsill, etc, etc) the plants for a couple of days before planting out,

you say that you planted through black plastic, question:- the soil make up, what type do you have, is it a sandy soil, or loam, when you prepaired it did you add any compost to the hole,

watering:- early and late at night, untill they get settled,
when to plant out:- i do mine late in the evening, but not when frosts are around, if they are cover with a flece, this allows them to settle in better, they will have the night to take in more water, then cope with the heat of the day,
pests:- lift the BP and check for insects, wireworm, slug and snails,
another way to try is to place them into growbags of compost to see what happens,
hope this helps, other will have more idears
all the best
windy

[antipodes]

ok just to give a few more details :
They are wilted looking and leaning over. The couple I put directly in the soil (ran out of plastic  :) looked a bit more chirpy. I planted in the morning.
I had dug over the soil and added some used horse bedding that I got from the local racetrack! It's a mix of horse wee/poo (but not loads), straw and a flaky wood-based substance. I figured it was too late to add genuine horse poo, as it wouldn't be rotted. But this stuff seems to like holding moisture. The soil on my allotment is really good, just the right texture, dunno what sandy loam is, but it is easy to dig anyway.
Maybe the next lot I should keep outside of my window, but covered over?
Lettuce seemed so easy to grow, I feel rather stupid that I can't manage it  :-[

[Barnowl]

Lettuce, easy to grow? I've only ever succeeded by direct sowing! In fact probably I've killed more lettuce seedlings than you've had hot dinners ;D Don;t give up!

[saddad]

If they are only wilted they may yet recover as the roots get out into the soil... if started in compost often the compost dries out and is hard to re wet so they wilt..
try to mix some compost into the soil where you are going to put the lettuce to give them a bit of transition...
 :-\

[sarah]

i agree, they can be disconcertingly floppy for a few days after transplanting. cabbages go a bit like it too. but usually they pick up and knuckle down. give them a few more days. also lettuce dont like too much hot direct sun,  they often grow better under another crop such as beans or brassicas. 

[antipodes]

Just an update: I went down this morning, there was a light rain here last night! Surprising. I had a look at the lettuce and some were really quite dead...but...about 5 of them seemed to be fighting...so I will leave them and see what happens. I admit though that I cheated and planted 15 young lettuce plants from the local nursery as otherwise I can't see myself getting any lettuce before Christmas!

[manicscousers]

i've grown some in jiffy 7's and some in fibre pots..saves disturbing the roots  :)