Well, I am enjoying watching my garden grow, but I had my first poor result from it and I an wondering if anyone had any feedback/advice that may help me in the future...
I bought some iceberg lettuce transplants and planted them on Mar 23. (I am a half-hour south of Louisville) Some of them died, but a few lasted and were forming heads....yesterday (May 31) I decided to just take a head even though it was about half the size of the ones in the grocery store...
It tasted terrible, BITTER! Completely inedible. I was shocked...I thought something like that was idiot-proof. Did I do anything wrong...? I am wondering now if that is just way too late...we have been having a lot of hot days here. Should I be getting lettuce, arugula, spinach, etc. in the ground a lot earlier?
Yes, crops like lettuce can be planted as soon as the ground can be worked, which is usually before your first frost.
The problem with your bitter lettuce was the heat. Heat makes lettuce bolt (send up a flowering stalk) and taste bitter. Next time, try to get them into the ground earlier.
Spinach and Swiss chard are more heat-tolerant then lettuce so maybe you'll want to give them a try next year.
The problem with your bitter lettuce was the heat. Heat makes lettuce bolt (send up a flowering stalk) and taste bitter. Next time, try to get them into the ground earlier.
Spinach and Swiss chard are more heat-tolerant then lettuce so maybe you'll want to give them a try next year.
I agree with garden5, heat is the issue. I am farther south than you but we had some HOT days there in May. It has cooled considerably since the spot showers began last week.
We enjoyed a lot of lettuce but could not get to all of it. We noticed that we had some new growth where we had cut the butter crunch heads. We picked it this weekend for sandwiches, and it was great.
In this picture you can see my overgrown buttercrunch
[img]https://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/lakngulf/G2010May/G2010055.jpg[/img]
We enjoyed a lot of lettuce but could not get to all of it. We noticed that we had some new growth where we had cut the butter crunch heads. We picked it this weekend for sandwiches, and it was great.
In this picture you can see my overgrown buttercrunch
[img]https://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/lakngulf/G2010May/G2010055.jpg[/img]
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
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- Location: TN/GA 7b
I have never had good luck with head lettuce. Leaf lettuces are much easier to grow and more tolerant. And definitely the Swiss Chard. Long after the lettuce and spinach are done, the swiss chard just keeps going and going all through the season. Anything you can use spinach for, raw or cooked, you can substitute swiss chard. I made a wonderful swiss chard lasagne last year that I liked better than the spinach lasagne.