Lettuce Root Aphid

[sandersj89]

This is a new problem for me this year, never seen it before. I went to pull a lettuce last night for supper. Looking at those ready I spied one that looked like it would be soon over so decided upon that. As I pulled it I noticed the base of the stem was covered in aphids and then once the roots were free of the soil they were also covered.

The variety of lettuce effected is Sherwood. It is being grown in the same bed as Little Gem and 4 Seasons. I inspected these and they show no sign of infestation. A quick bit of research and it seems some varieties, including Little Gem, are resistant.

The lettuce it self was perfect to eat but I suspect the aphids were stressing the plant and would have resulted in it bolting quicker or dying back if the aphids did too much damage to the stem. At the moment I am not going to worry about treatment.

Jerry

[sandersj89]

[RSJK]

Hi Jerry we used to be big lettuce growers and what you describe is nothing new we used to get it a lot on the Webb's lettuce, it does not seem to affect the lettuce to much, but it can be sprayed against if you are worried about it.
         ;)

[tim]

My frequent problem is mushy rot. Mainly on the outer leaves, but sometimes into the heart.