lettuce seedlings gone wrong :(

Fraggle · Tue Apr 07, 2009 11:53 am

last week I transplanted my iceberg lettuce seedlings into indervidual containers as they were getting abit to big; but since then they have started to wilt

they are watered regularly enough, and are in my green house so are getting enough sunlight, so I don't know whats up with them, could anybody help with any suggestions please?

applestar · Tue Apr 07, 2009 2:41 pm

I can't say I know anything for sure since this is my first year growing icebergs (I let DH talk me into it -- he told me he won't eat any other kind of lettuce

) But I just hardened off and transplanted out my lettuce collection, so here goes. First, make sure you added extra lime or granite dust or wood ash to the soil mix as they don't like acid soil.

Now, from what I've seen, the classic iceberg -- I'm growing a variety called Summertime -- is more "delicate" than leaf lettuce, batavian, butterhead, or baby romaine. Even a red variety summercrisp (which is another name they use for icebergs since they got a bad rep for lower nutritional value) called Red Glacier has held up better to the two stages of pricking out/up potting and transplanting out I've done so far. All the others have resumed growing and are looking happy. Also, when we had a bit of warm weather, Summertime, despite it's name and reputation for heat resistance, looked wilty -- it perked up with a bit of misting and cheesecloth shade.

When we had a particularly windy day, one of the Summertime transplants got knocked down and lost a leaf when a bit of STRAW hit it.

Fraggle · Tue Apr 07, 2009 5:27 pm

ah, I think I may know whats wrong then. I'm pretty new to gardening so not to smart on the PH of soils haha!
I've added a small amount of manure to the top of the soil to try and give the seedlings abit of a boost as it has helped some of my previous seedlings, but manures mainly acidic isnt it? so that my be whats making them wilt. the cheese cloth idea may be a good option too bcause I may be giving them abit to much sunlight. right, looks like I'm gona be removing some manure and shading my lettuces tomorrow then haha! will also see if I can get hold of some wood ash or something too

thanks so much for the advice, lets just hope I can get them back on form

And the young plants do seem pretty flimsy, but abit of straw! now thats just a kick in the teeth

xxx

applestar · Tue Apr 07, 2009 5:53 pm

Sounds like a plan.

Also, next time you give your seedlings manure, you might want to give it to them as "manure tea" rather than full strength -- mix with water, strain with cheesecloth or old tea strainer, then dilute until it's the color of "weak tea". You can just water the soil with it or spray the leaves. Tea time!

cynthia_h · Tue Apr 07, 2009 11:27 pm

Please be aware that--ah--"raw" (I.e., uncomposted) manure can contain weed seeds, pathogens, and excess nitrogen, just to name a few. The nitrogen can burn young, sensitive plants; the weed seeds can cause untold amounts of work; and...well...pathogens just aren't a great idea.

Or was this already-composted manure? It still might have excess nitrogen, but the weed seeds and pathogens should be gone.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

Fraggle · Wed Apr 08, 2009 6:55 am

yeah I'll try mixing it with water thanks

and it was already well composted manure, and I guess if it could still contain too much nitrogen, then the weak tea mix will probably healp overcome that problem

thanks for the advice guys, lets just hope my lettuces recover, otherwise I'm gonna be sowing all over again

hehe!
xxx

Fraggle · Sat Apr 11, 2009 6:15 am

cheers applestar, since removing the manure and giving them more shade they've really perked up

looks like I'm gona be eating lettuce this year afterall yay!

xxx