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Sowing Lettuce seeds

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Posts

  • rowlandscastle444rowlandscastle444 Posts: 2,612
    Does Monty Don get his ideas from people here, or vice versa? 
  • ShepsSheps Posts: 2,236
    Don't get my ideas from MD, but I do listen to the knowledgeable people on here and try to put that advice into practice, my other source of knowledge is Charles Dowding, really like that fella.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I very much doubt Monty Don looks at this forum @rowlandscastle444 ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • ShepsSheps Posts: 2,236
    The seedlings are growing fast... they're between 10mm and 15mm tall now.

    I'm guessing they have to be a little bit bigger before transplanting and growing on?

    The reason for asking is that there are roots growing out of the bottom of the seed tray, so is it ok to leave them a little longer?


  • war garden 572war garden 572 Posts: 664
    rowlandscastle444 said:
    Does Monty Don get his ideas from people here, or vice versa? 
    those ideas are old but good no matter who suggests them. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Hi @Sheps - I think your compost/soil level is quite low, so the depth is a bit shallow, hence the roots showing already. However, if those were mine, I'd carefully break clumps off and put them in small pots to grow on. If you use 3inch pots, and fill them around two thirds, that would probably be about the right depth to add your little seedlings.
    You might lose a few, but that's fairly common as some will natural get broken or fall away, but you'll get most of them, and they take a reasonable amount of abuse when you do it   ;)

    Yours are still much further on than mine   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • ShepsSheps Posts: 2,236
    Hi @Fairygirl I'll give that a try in the next few days and transfer the rest into cells.

    Ta very much 🙂
  • ShepsSheps Posts: 2,236
    Pricked out the Lettuce this morning, another first for me so a little nervous of damaging them.

    The spares have germinated too, so will see if I need them.



    Not sure if I should have planted them a little deeper, hopefully they will grow on ok.





    Andy...




  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    One thing I learned when I did the RHS course ,was that I was leaving seedlings too long before transplanting. You can do it as soon as they are big enough to get a hold on one of the seed leaves.  
    What you experienced is another reason I like sowing into half height, wide  pots, it gives seedlings more root depth than with a tray.
    AB Still learning

  • ShepsSheps Posts: 2,236
    Thanks @Allotment Boy yes, in hindsight I wish I had pricked them into larger cells as the roots were very long, but a lesson learned.

    I have some larger cells and some even larger ones on order, so next time I will try sowing direct into those.


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