lettuce see?

[aquilegia]

Is it too early/cold to start lettuces in a pot outside with fleece covering? I have no greenhouse and my mini plastic greenhouse is already full!

[aquilegia]

[traceym]

Hi aqui,
i sowed lettuce outside in trays with a plastic top on ,on the 1st feb   and they germinayed on the 6th,just got there fist set of true leaves now,so try that method or try sowing direct .
Good luck wichever method you choose.

[aquilegia]

marvellous! Will sow some next chance I get!

[ina]

Sowed mine two weeks ago under poly tunnel, nothing showing yet.

[philcooper]

Windowsill in north facing room? - just until they germinate, then harden off

[tim]

Just for Ina - sadly the last Fristina.

But they went through all that period of  -8deg? = Tim

[ina]

Ahhhhhhhhh, nice Tim. If we had left the windows in the greenhouse over the winter, I may have been able to make a similar picture. The day after we removed the windows, the rabbits had a feast. I'll be sowing firistina as soon as the windows are back in.

[jethro]

Hi ina, Hi Tim, i've only grown 'iceberg' are these firistina better tasting ???

[ina]

Hi Jethro. Total different ballgame. I grow iceberg too, love the crispy texture but fristina is a leafy type which doesn't form heads. The beauty of fristina is that it's, how did you call it Tim, cut-and-come-again. You can harvest many times from it. As for flavor? Ask the rabbits hahaha. Tim sent me seeds last year and this summer I'll be able to tell but if it comes from Tim, I know it will be good.

[cleo]

Hi Jethro

Nothing wrong with some of the `iceberg` types but you are missing out on a lot,save up the pennies and buy a load more varieties -and don`t forget the chicories and endives for salads throughout the year.

Stephan.

[tim]

Not better, Jethro - different. Main difference being that you can take a handful of leaves whenever you need them. Nothing wasted. And I doubt that Iceberg would have coped with those frosts? Flavour is 'enjoyable & useful'.
As`Stephan says, variety is the spice of life. Each serves a different purpose. Some are more prone to mould; some are too big for 2, or the space available; smaller leaves are easier to apportion (better to 'peel' a lettuce, rather than cut) without being  un-decoratively torn up; colour, shape & texture are each important. Give it a whirl!! = Tim

SHERWOOD (like Little Gem, but pelleted seed!)

[tim]

Wrong again! It wasn't the last one.

We are still picking at the Fristina. That's one lettuce I shall grow again! = Tim

4/6/04 To save space. For anyone not convinced about cca lettuces, this is today's handful off the Fristina planted last September. With a bit of an experimental Romaine.