early lettuce going leggy

[Philbasford]

Ive planted some lettuce seeds in trays in cold frame and its going leggy!.  Is the any reason for this.  I found this happened last year and it did same thing.  Its not as if its warm or that sunny.

Any ideas?, if they get any more leggy i shall have to throw the whole lot away and start again (its not that big a deal..)

[Philbasford]

[manicscousers]

we eat any leggy lettuce seedlings, nice salad  ;D
ours are probably due to lack of light, the ones I grew on the windowsill are doing really well  :)

[GodfreyRob]

Most often leggy seedlings are a result of too little light for the available heat. If the cold frame has opaque sides, is quite deep so the only light is coming from above (and little from the sides), this could s--t--r--e--t--c--h the seedlings.

[Wilder]

mine were slightly leggy although they started off in a really warm windowsill. I took the chance last week and put them on the balcony in an semi-opaque storage box and they seem to be thickening up??? I thought the cold would kill them off to be honest but was experimenting. I leave the lid of the storage box open a small crack for air but it seem to be doing the trick. They look definitely less leggy, maybe I was babying them too much here in the heat!

[galina]

You could harden them off and plant them out now.  Should be ok, lettuce can tolerate some frosts if they are not waterlogged.

Even from stretched seedlings you will get salad plants until outside sown ones can be harvested.

With a cloche on top, they should be fine for sure.

[tonybloke]

agree with godfreyrob, lack of light is probable cause ;)