ooooh lettuce

Loadsabob

I wouldn't give supermarket lettuce houseroom. I really believe that after they've been sprayed, washed, chlorinated, bagged, transported...you're actually paying for nothing anyway; if you want the nutrients, you're not going to get them from those!!

I really recommend Joy Larkcom's "The Organic Salad Garden" (Here at Amazon - but you can probably order it from libraries). She demonstrates how to have fresh salad from your garden all year round. I've never yet managed to be that organised, but I like to think that with a bit of planning I will get there! Of course it's cost effective, varies according to the season, you know it's fresh, and you only need small spaces and containers. If you managed to save seeds from your own plants, too, it would be even MORE cost effective! Again, I've not managed that yet! So you can adapt this to the smallest of spaces, and manage something edible all year round. Larkcom deals with other salad plants, as well as leaves, and edible flowers, too. Also she has some nice looking recipes for dressings. It's a really lovely book.

Little Gem lettuces are really easy to grow. I grew them in a window box last year. This year I have loads of lettuces all at different stages, to ensure a supply through the season.

As for lettuce not growing in heat, I'm pretty lucky mine is still alive, as I keep leaving it in a sweltering plastic greenhouse / furnace, and then get home to revive it each day. I MUST remember to unzip the thing before work!
I have about four varieties of lettuce on the go, and some loose leaves, and rocket...which isn't performing too well this year!

Kippsy

I will be growing lettuce shortly, I don't buy lettuce from the supermarket anymore because it didn't even look green! Yuck, that can't be right!

Have been getting it instead from farmers market locally, sometimes from farmers stalls and sometimes from the organic stall depending what I find.

I have been growing herbs, great fun! Got loads, grew marjoram, thyme, mint, parsley, dill, basil and rosemary! All I need now is to plant them out.

If anyone lives near wimbledonish area and would like some Basil let me know before it gets completley out of control!

crana999

I'm growing chillis from some free seeds Nandos left in my pigeonhole. They're growing really well, and I think one of the plants is going to grow a flower. Oooooooooh! It has a tiny flower-bud.

hornetgirl

The ones I'm growing are frilly and dark red - and tasty. Given to me by next door neighbour, so I don't know the exact details. Hoping to have rocket ready before too long as well.
I've only recently read the Not On The Label book and used to buy bagged lettuce, but not any more. I often used to find it smelled a bit like grass/weed clippings when I opened the bag. Yeuk!