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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Hazelb on March 20, 2012, 08:25:50

Title: Leggy icebergs..should i persevere?
Post by: Hazelb on March 20, 2012, 08:25:50


I sowed some iceberg lettuces a few of weeks ago in a heated propagator. They all came up, but after a week or two they are very leggy.

Can I rescue them by planting them deeply when I pot on, or is it best to start again.

...actually I've got the same problem with some other stuff I've planted ( mixed salad leaves and little gem ) :-\
Title: Re: Leggy icebergs..should i persevere?
Post by: brown thumb on March 20, 2012, 08:30:29
salad stuff does not need heat just warm window sill will do   or even a frost free green house  i would be afraid they might rot off if planted deeper you could always try  as nothing ventured nothing gained
Title: Re: Leggy icebergs..should i persevere?
Post by: saddad on March 20, 2012, 11:19:15
If you plant them at their present depth use some free draining stuff... eg compost/sand mix to earth them up... to reduce the chance of rottting.  :)
Title: Re: Leggy icebergs..should i persevere?
Post by: antipodes on March 20, 2012, 15:17:33
I have actually direct sowed a little clump of my spring lettuce and cloched it. I never get salads or brassicas to work indoors, they don't mind the cool.
Title: Re: Leggy icebergs..should i persevere?
Post by: Chrispy on March 20, 2012, 15:39:17
As they are a quick crop I would just start again.
As others said, no heat needed, just more light, if growing on a windowsill I use tin foil stuck on some card behind them to increase the light level.
Title: Re: Leggy icebergs..should i persevere?
Post by: Hazelb on March 21, 2012, 19:40:31
I do have loads of seed, so I think I'll start again. As soon as they are up and have a few leaves I'll transplant to a cold frame.
Title: Re: Leggy icebergs..should i persevere?
Post by: artichoke on March 23, 2012, 08:40:53
Use them as microgreens?

I germinated some mixed lettuce seed (had spilled packets and scooped them up again) in damp cloth and they shot into action faster than expected. Some are planted into a long gutter, spaced out for later planting in the ground, and the mass are in a shorter gutter, coming up thickly, encouraged to get leggy, and will be scissored off into salads soon, like cress. Better than throwing them away.....