Urbansage_gardener
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Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2015 10:34 pm

Red leaf lettuce

Transplanted these heads about a month or two ago just wonder are growing ok...we're just over the crazy in Los Angeles so I'm hoping it's the weather that has them growing this way, but help I'm open to any help.
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Asica
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Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 1:11 am
Location: California (Los Angeles)

Hi Neighboor,
The lettuce went straight to flowering, I guess you can get the seeds out of it. Unfortunately, the lettuce is not tasting well when flowering. We had so much heat recently, that this probably got the lettuce to bloom. March will be colder for us, in the 60's so you may be able to get some lettuce then. I am sorry to give you the bad news.

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jal_ut
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Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

I would plant some more seed now. Plant it where it will grow. Do not transplant lettuce.
Put a pinch of seed about every ten inches in a row, then when it comes up and gets about 4 inches tall pull all but one plant in each bunch and use it for salad and let the one mature. Lettuce is a cool weather crop. Best grown in the Spring.

(It will help us to help you if you will put your location on your profile. Conditions vary a lot across the country. )

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

Actually most loose leaf butterhead type lettuce is ready in 30-45 days. Gets bitter as it gets older and bolts faster in the heat. Romaine type lettuce is 70 days but can't take heat.

You can direct seed lettuce as James says or you can plant it in pots first but if you plant them in pots they should be transplanted out when they are about 10 days old from germination and about 2 inches tall. They need a consistently moist rich soil and should be planted or thinned if direct seeding to about 8-10 inches apart. Red lettuce, butter, and muir lettuce have better heat resistance. You should only plant lettuce in the sun in the cooler months. Heat resistant lettuce can be planted in semi shade during the summer as long as it does not get extremely hot. Usually that means you have to live in the higher elevations. They do ok when the temperatures are between 60-80 degrees but become bitter, tipburned, and bolt quickly when it is hotter than that.

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Allyn
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Location: Mississippi Gulf Coast - zone 8b

jal_ut wrote:... Plant it where it will grow. Do not transplant lettuce...
Really? I've always transplanted lettuce. I start the seeds in jiffy pellets, up-pot the seedlings into dixie cups and then plant them outside when they outgrow the dixie cups. I have a batch of head and leaf lettuce in dixie cups right now. What am I losing by doing it this way?

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I do it all the time, especially if I am succession planting. that way I don't have bare open soil if I have my transplant ready to go when I take the other plant out. Growing from transplant shortens the time it needs in the garden. When space is limited, you want to be as efficient as you can be. As long as you remember with any short lived plant that is has to keep growing and you don't leave it in the pot too long it can be transplanted. Some things are better direct seeded because they are difficult to transplant (but not imposssible) like parsley or they are so easy that why bother, like beans.

JayPoc
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Location: Virginia, The mountains Zone 6a/6b

Yep...transplanter here too. Allows me to get mature lettuce earlier than I would otherwise and keep harvesting lettuce for longer. I'll even move some around when small to fill in gaps in rows, etc. I've never noticed any ill effects from transplanting.



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