Lettuce help

[vette-kid]

I don't think there is anything wrong really, I'm just curious when I should harvest these? This is the first time I've grown lettuce. Pretty sure one is an iceberg lettuce, I don't recall the other variety. Looks like the iceberg is starting to form a head, how long until they are ready?

 

[headfullofbees]

Start harvesting lettuce as soon as it's worthwhile: if you have a lot and wait until it's "ready", most of it will be past its best when you eat it, because, in the heat, it grows so quickly.

 

[Scrungee]

This is the first time I've grown lettuce. Pretty sure one is an iceberg lettuce

They look like Iceberg type lettuce, but also as if they're failing to heart up, possobly due to excessive heat, lack of water, or if sown in trays/pots and transplanted into position, leaving too long before planting out in open ground. I've seen some people growing them under cloches covered with shading mesh to combat hot, sunny conditions.

I rarely grow Icebergs these days as I found them the most difficult variety of lettuce to grow, and even when you thought they were perfect, upon cutting them up I'd find slimy rot inside. Mini cos lettuce like Little Gem and Tom Thumb (grow both and at least one will thrive) are far more reliable, and if showing a reluctance to hearting can be loosely bound with some soft twine.

 

[vette-kid]

I don't think heat would be a problem as we have been in the 70s for a high since planting. They were all starter plants transplanted early January sometime. And it's been pretty wet, so I doubt that's the issue. Perhaps starter plants planted too late?

Lettuce was an experiment. Trying to find what I can grow (and grow well) in our area. Lettuce seems like a challenging crop to get right. Had bad luck with spinach as well.

 

[headfullofbees]

70s is high for lettuce.
It may be 80s before it bolts, but it will grow very quickly towards seeding at 70f+
Same with spinach, which is a brassica.
Even in the UK spinach is a spring/autumn veg for a decent cropping window.
Romaine or loose leaf varieties of lettuce are what you want.

 

[vette-kid]

Thank you bees! Great info. I may try iceberg again next year, but need to plant by November/December. These didn't go in ground until January. That would give them about three to four months in the 70s and below, being a little warm on both ends of that time frame. It's going to start getting warm very quickly here. I'll also look for Romain next year, I like Romain as well. Wife loves spinach, I love iceberg but she won't eat it.

 

[headfullofbees]

Found this, hope it helps:

Varieties of Heat-Tolerant Lettuce

When growing lettuce, you want to make sure you're choosing varieties that can handle your...

homeguides.sfgate.com

 

[vette-kid]

These actually turned out pretty well. I think if I plant a month earlier this year I can get some good heads.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

That looks pretty good, as did the top pictures. Always worth thinning lettuce out as they grow, as headfullofbees said you don't want them all at once. If you try growing from seed the seed is so small you always get too many too close, and even the littlest ones are a good addition to a salad early in the season. Worth trying seed, you get so many in a packet you can afford to get it a bit wrong at first.