Summer Romaine...

Shanghaisky · Tue May 16, 2017 2:44 pm

I finally got around to ordering my seeds.... woops. We had a really long winter here in 5a/b, but suddenly it looks like summer is here. I have a full sun no shade plot, and *was* planning on some romaine, but I fear it may be too late. Would it be possible to grow some in the shade of any of these?: Roma tomatoes, Landreth Bush beans, Wando peas, Emerald giant bell peppers, Sungold Dwarf Sunflowers... ? I could possibly do a shadecloth? Any ideas? I could keep them in pots on the mostly shaded porch but I'd prefer to keep the garden in the garden

Thanks!

knewbe · Wed May 17, 2017 1:18 am

I don't know much about growing lettuce since I just started my first row ever a couple weeks ago, and so far they are doing quite well being my garden receives full sun (sometimes too much) all hours of the day. I also live in 5a/b here in western south dakota where at this time of year the weather can never seem to make up its damn mind! After reading countless great reviews and forum posts I decided to go ahead and order a Tierra Garden fleece grow tunnel for $20 on amazon that I should be receiving tomorrow. It sounds like you too would benefit from this. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017 ... UTF8&psc=1

imafan26 · Wed May 17, 2017 4:31 am

Romaine is not a very heat tolerant lettuce. It gets bitter when the temperature gets much above 75 degrees. Little Gem is supposed to be more heat tolerant than the Cos romaine.

Lettuce will do ok up until around 80 degrees but then even the heat tolerant ones start to have problems with tipburn and bolting.

Shanghaisky · Wed May 17, 2017 11:22 am

imafan26 wrote:Romaine is not a very heat tolerant lettuce. It gets bitter when the temperature gets much above 75 degrees. Little Gem is supposed to be more heat tolerant than the Cos romaine.

Lettuce will do ok up until around 80 degrees but then even the heat tolerant ones start to have problems with tipburn and bolting.

Hmm.. even in shade on the porch? I am thinking I could bring em inside when it's over 75/80, set them back out when it's cooler.. am I delusional? Should I just wait until the Autumn garden?

jal_ut · Fri May 19, 2017 6:29 pm

I am going to say: Just go plant it! What can it hurt to stick in a little seed? It may make it. Perhaps not, but you have not lost much if it doesn't.

jlcnuke · Wed May 24, 2017 7:41 pm

I'm on the "just plant it and see how it does" side here. This is some of the romaine that I have growing currently here in zone 7B. With adequate water, and some shade (early morning part shade from the deck railing and some late afternoon shade from a tree), it's doing pretty well here still. I was late planting lettuce and am still expecting that it just may do fine as things are.

Shanghaisky · Wed May 24, 2017 8:12 pm

I planted 4 rows of greens (one each of Romaine, Noble Giant Spinach, Genovese Basil, and Swiss Chard) on Saturday, so we will see what comes up! Thanks for the advice!

jlcnuke · Wed May 24, 2017 8:45 pm

Shanghaisky wrote:I planted 4 rows of greens (one each of Romaine, Noble Giant Spinach, Genovese Basil, and Swiss Chard) on Saturday, so we will see what comes up! Thanks for the advice!

A whole row of basil? You must love you some pesto!

imafan26 · Wed May 24, 2017 9:09 pm

shade helps but expect the lettuce to mature earlier. Shading does help me but heat is heat, even in the shade, with adequate water the heads are smaller and they bolt faster.

Shanghaisky · Wed May 24, 2017 9:20 pm

jlcnuke wrote:
Shanghaisky wrote:I planted 4 rows of greens (one each of Romaine, Noble Giant Spinach, Genovese Basil, and Swiss Chard) on Saturday, so we will see what comes up! Thanks for the advice!
A whole row of basil? You must love you some pesto!

Small rows! Haha! I have sweet basil on the porch too. Plan to do a lot of frozen basil cubes for cooking (we have onion and garlic cubes frozen too. Really handy!) And, hopefully if the maters succeed, we will be putting up some sauce!

Gary350 · Thu May 25, 2017 8:51 pm

I planted Romaine in the garden also in a 2 gallon pot. Romaine in the garden is doing good even with this crazy weather. Temperature has been up and down in the 50s one week then 90s the next week it was 56 here yesterday. I am keeping the Romaine in the flower pot in the shade I hope that will keep it from going to seed for a while longer. What works for someone else may not work for me or you we all have different weather just try it and see how it does for you. Soon it will be 100 degrees here for 2 whole months I am hoping shade helps my lettuce. Something I learned long ago if your plants bolt, flower and try to make seed cut the tops off, they will grow new tops so keep cutting them off. If you can keep your plants alive until cool weather they make nice plants again. Hot weather makes some plants bitter or spicy hot but when weather gets cool in the fall the plants all get sweet and tender again. Carrots will get hard as a pine board in 100 degree weather but when temperatures get in the 40s they get tender and sweet. LOL. My kale, chard, romaine, bib, Russian red, boc choy, are all still tender and sweet, so far so good, it was in the 90s last week, 56 was the high yesterday. NY should be a lot more weather friendly for cool weather crops than TN you should have much better luck than me.

I don't do raised bed, these are just wooden boxes to keep our 8 baby kittens. I had wire over the top but now the kittens all have new homes so the wire and boxes are no longer needed.

My, kale, red chard, rainbow chard, green chard, boc choy, Russian red, romaine, are all so good I have been eating a giant salad for dinner every day, sometimes lunch too. I like Thousand Island & Zesty Italian mixed 50/50.

It is all very good on sandwiches and other things too. I had a Kale Smoothy for breakfast it was very good.