A question about lettuce

balloo_2

I am growing iceberg lettuce but as i have a concrete garden i am thinking what can i plant them in could i use a plastic trough planter simular to the one i am trying to post a picture of.
http://www.webbsdirect.co.uk/category.asp?cat_id=PLATROUGH&cid=GWP403AZFH01FTUWI95OWVUTKBSX4LXA

tanith

You could grow them in a planter but they will dry out quite quickly , why not use grow bags? they don't dry out so quickly

Optimisticpair

I think 10" depth is fair, it allows for a gap for watering and drainage and shouldn't dry out as fast as a shallower container. Deeper or wider if possible to hold more moisture. Troughs, especially plastic ones, have a wide area exposed to heat from the sun, black ones absorb more heat and will dry out a bit faster.

Hope that helps

evie451

i stick lettuce in as a bit of a catch crop where there is a space so i have grown them in loads of different containers, i find that a bit of that water retaining gel or something similar is good to cut down on the watering....

balloo_2

Think I will try the growbags Idea. How many to a growbag? So I dont need much depth for them, also can I replant new lettuce to replace the ones I have pulled In the same growbag? :undecided

wattapain

All I can advise is - don't grow Iceberg!!
There are sooooo many varieties of lettuce that taste so much better!
Hve a look at realseeds.com - organic gardening.com - or even Kings/Thomson&morgan. And your local garden centre will have several different ones - such as Lollo rosso, salad bowl - too many to list - just have a look
and as others have already said, they can be stuck in anywhere you have a bit of space.
i usually start mine off in pots/trays and transplant them at interval, so there is a continuous supply.
BTW slugs love 'em, but not for some reason the red ones!!
Don't know why, but there you go!!
Terri

savemoney

I used some on plastic plant troughs last year for lettuce and grow some spring onions in between the lettuce and it was fine. I kept them well watered though

wallbash

Im with wattapain , don't do it.

If you want crispy , go for cos .
Better idea go for a mixed salad mixture.

Pookledo

balloo wrote: »

I am growing iceberg lettuce but as i have a concrete garden i am thinking what can i plant them in could i use a plastic trough planter simular to the one i am trying to post a picture of.

I grow them in anything I can find that looks suitable. large plant pots, planters like you have pictures or in the ground. Any spot that is big enough.

I do usually grow cut and come again lettuce though as leaves can be picked fresh every day so that there isn't any wastage due to limp leaves.

peachespeaches

I grow "Little Gem" lettuces in containers/growbags, also "salad bowl". Much better than iceberg, and the salad bowl is cut and come again.

ALIBOBSY

I use mix salad leaves, rocket lollo rosso and little gem. All lettuces can be harvested over time. Either as cut and come again or just take a few leaves from each plant as you go (quite often those outside ones on a "head" of lettuce get thrown away anyway-so eat them as you go to save waste). I like little gems as some can be eaten small and some left to get bigger.

Also try eating other leaves you wouldn't normally get in salads. Young beet leaves, young radish leaves, peas tops, bean tops, nasturtion leaves and flowers, herbs-I have a selection of different flavoured mints, basils etc all soft leaves go well in salads.

ali x