Why does my lettuce always die?

[Smiles Jr.]

I have a history of bad luck growing one of the simplest veggies. Years ago I tried over and over again to grow head lettuce, leaf lettuce and Romaine and each time when the seedlings were 1" tall everything in my starter tray would die.

Just last week I tried again and sure enough at about 1" growth they all died.

I start them in a very good starter mix, keep them moist (not wet) and my germination is OK. Not great but just OK. I would say 60 to 70 percent. I keep the soil somewhere around 75F until the sprouts are about 1/8" out of the soil then I keep them around 70F with as much natural sunlight as possible.

Every one of my plants wilt and die every time. Could I be keeping them too warm? I know they are cool weather plants but I thought 70f would be cool enough. I'm always worried about letting them get too cold.

HELP!

 

[curly_kate]

I have better luck direct seeding greens. When I've tried to start them, I've never gotten too far.

 

[baymule]

I grow lettuce every fall. I sow directly in the bed as soon as it cools down a bit. It has grown all winter, even been snowed on, survives freezes and grows great until spring heats up. Then it bolts and reaches for the sky. Of course, our climates are different, but maybe don't plant indoors. Just plant directly in the garden as soon as the soil is workable.

 

[897tgigvib]

Smiles, luckily a packet of lettuce comes with a bazillion seeds. Here's an idea. Never mind the indoor starting, (but if you do, never mind heating them inside. Lettuce likes it cool.), just start them outside. Plant a few seeds here or there every few weeks. Oh, don't much bother covering the seeds. If they water down into the soil that's plenty deep.

You'll probably have the best luck with those planted a few weeks before you'd set your Tomatoes out.

Mostly, the easiest ones are the leaf lettuces and the bibb butterhead ones. Head lettuces, ha. I think those are grown down in zone 10 during winter mostly.

 

[Durgan]

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?UOQES 27 May 2012 Romain Lettuce Growth
Romain Lettuce is thriving. A plant was utilized yesterday, which was almost perfect. It could be a bit larger.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?XGXGG 29 April 2012 Romaine Lettuce.
Romaine lettuce planted outdoors. The plants were purchased in flats and individually planted in pots to establish a strong root system and kept in the greenhouse for ten days. Pictures depict the operation. The lettuce prefers cool weather. 29 April is about a month before the tomatoes can be put out, since there will be frost on some nights.

 

[vfem]

I only direct sow my greens and cool weather veggies.

When I tried to sprout and move broccoli, lettuce, spinach, cauliflower... all total fail every time! They so love this cool weather, I just start them all outside (I already planted those things last week). I do the cabbage both ways though, it doesn't seem to mind the move.

I check already this week and I have radish sprouts and kale sprouts. They didn't even care we got snow and a couple of freezes! Nature has its way!

 

[digitS']

I think you have gotten good advice, Smiles.

With about 6 suggestions saying "it will work better for you outdoors" - I'll just toss in something to think about: I don't believe a single lettuce seed was sown in my open garden last year.

Here's the deal. Maybe don't make too much of a commitment to starting them early, indoors. You know, use one of those empty 6oz cartons of guacamole or a 2 1/4" pot, or something. If you can get them started early, fine. If not, make sure you have a nice crop of spinach direct-seeded coming along. Nothing wrong with a spinach salad. Of course, your direct-seeded lettuce will be coming along real early, too. It is something that will sprout in the coolest soil.

Win or lose - use your experience to start more lettuce seed in containers later in the season. My guess is that once your plants can have more air movement and even a little direct sun, they will be fine in containers. As you start to move things in and out for hardening off, include the containers with lettuce. You know - baby them. They are in the very best place in the yard, only there a couple of hours. You will "rescue" them from too much of anything.

It won't make much difference to the lettuce if they are going in and out with broccoli starts and such. Stay with that 1 guacamole container but add another one and another and another as time goes on. Break them out of their containers and plant them in little groups of 4 or 5 as you set them out in the garden - that's fine for leaf lettuce.

The later sown containers you've got hardening off with the tomatoes and peppers.

If I was to sow lettuce seed anytime after the tomatoes & peppers are set out in the garden -- I'd begin having those "lettuce mortality" issues. But, I'm still babying plants in the backyard and they are still going out into the garden. By now, it is hot and dry with thundering field sprinklers raining down on everything! Lettuce plants that are several weeks old - they can take it! And, I've got lettuce right into the heat of summer . . .

Steve

 

[Smiles Jr.]

Thanks everyone. The last of my greens died overnight last night. I'll have to wait until I can get out to work in the gardens to sow outdoors because in early December I plowed my gardens and the turned soil is very rough with furrows still deep. I'll need some dry weather before I can hook up the tiller to the tractor.

It looks like the blizzard is going to effect us a little bit for the rest of this week as the prediction is for snow and lots of rain for the rest of the week.

Like most of us, I get anxious to get things going too early in the late winter/spring. But I have always wanted to have fresh lettuce and spinach through the winter time. I'm hoping to learn how to accomplish that in my greenhouse soon.

 

[digitS']

Oh hey!

What you might do is get the plants started well in the floor of your greenhouse before winter sets in.

It may be a good thing to look at "Four Seasons Harvest," a book by Eliot Coleman. A lot of people seem to think Coleman is talking about growing things in his Maine greenhouse thru the winter. He is talking about "harvesting" things in his greenhouse thru the winter . . . harvesting and growing them during the other months of the year.

Steve