Allotments 4 All

Hello again

I have propogated a mix of italian salad seeds and they are now
2 inches tall.  But they look spindley and are drooping. :-\

They have just shot up their third leaf and am wondering why they are drooping.

I used seedling mix and removed the plastic cover once they were an inch hight.  And have sprayed them to keep them moist with a spray bottle.  I have them in my kitchen.

Can anyone please tell me what has gone wrong.  Thankyou

Anna

Not enough natural light is the normal reason for seedlings becoming etiolated, (drawn). What they probably need is some Sunlight!

i could do with some sunlight meself  ;D

I was a bit disappointed with my mixed salad bed as it quickly seemed to go to seed, and also I don't know about other people but it was difficult not to have the odd weed growing amongst them too, so I was finding myself munching on the odd bit of chick weed as well as the salad leaves.  I love the idea of a bed of salad leaves but think next year I will continue to grow my salad in conventional rows.  :) busy_lizzie

OK,  so I'll keep putting them outside for a while and hope the WIND doesn't get to them :o  and hope my father-in law doesn't DROWN them watering with the hose ::)

Don't have any room for a glass house ::) ::)

I'll keep plodding along...

...or maybe I should just put them in the ground now ???  It's my first set of salad seeds but third batch of seedlings ??? ??? ??? if you get that?

Anna :-\

 I sow my lettuce seeds in trays first  in the greenhouse, then pots when they are bigger, before putting them out in beds.   I know this must sound like a faff, but I much prefer it to thinning out in situ.  I can sit in comfort on a chair inside or in the garden when I am potting them and when they are planted out they have a good sized root on them and I can space them out perfectly. They have grown brilliantly like that this year. Had fantastic little gems, web lettuces and lollo rosso, (though have had problems with slugs with them).  I suppose you learn by experience what works best for you.  :) busy_lizzie 

I think I may have come up with a temporary solution.

I have put my 3 lots of seedlings on top of a large seedling tray.  Placed an upturned clear plastic container over the tray standing on 2 bricks (to let the air in), and added 2 bricks on top of the whole lot to protect from the wind.

All I have to do now is spray it regularly.

Well thats the plan!

Anna ;D

Wardy, the little gems were the best lettuces I have ever grown.  So tasty and with such a good heart to them,they were quite substantial.  I really got my money's worth with them.  I intend to grow masses of them next year. Glad yours were a success too.  Didn't know you could get a winter variety. I will have to look out for them.

Good luck with yours Anna.  You will find a method that works for you, I am sure.   :) busy_lizzie