Can i still save my lettuces?

lindseykim13

A small problem with aphids on my lettuces has now turned into a drastic problem i can no longer even wash the !!!!!!s off to eat it anymore. Is there anything i can do to get rid of them or better to start again with the lettuce?

Lotus-eater

Wow, I don't think I've even seen a aphid on a lettuce before, let alone that many.
If you can't eat them (is it really that bad?) then there is no point keeping them, start again and get some soft soap in and spray before it gets this bad next time.
Or try soft soap on them now and see if it works. Or do both.

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there

Have to say that i have never had more than an occasional bug on lettuce either-if you start over again.. you can buy garden fleece to cover them with..it allows light and rain through but stops the bugs... or you can get really fine netting to cover them over with.. even and old net curtain will reduce the number that get through

lindseykim13

thanks i'll try the soap thing i thought they would be wiped out with the heavy rain but there is more! real shame as it was the slugs and snails that ruined them last year.

noonesperfect

I'm growing little gem lettuces in a plastic trough.

This sounds like a really dumb question....

If I get a piece of fleece and tuck it round them now (they're still at the 2 leaf stage bless 'em) should that stop all the little slugs and things getting in amongst the leaves?

Last year I grew some but there was loads of little beasties in the lettuce and they'd made a meal out of nearly all of them - most were wasted.

olly300

noonesperfect wrote: »

I'm growing little gem lettuces in a plastic trough.

This sounds like a really dumb question....

If I get a piece of fleece and tuck it round them now (they're still at the 2 leaf stage bless 'em) should that stop all the little slugs and things getting in amongst the leaves?

Last year I grew some but there was loads of little beasties in the lettuce and they'd made a meal out of nearly all of them - most were wasted.

Not a dumb question.

Fleece does stop slugs and snails getting into plants.However you need to check that there are none before you put it on them.

noonesperfect

It was little grey slugs in the lettuces which got to me! Yeuch.

How on earth do these little beasties get right into the middle layers of a little gem?!

Anyway they're all covered now so hopefully should be OK this year.

iyiarz

I bought some copper coated sheets to stop the slugs eating my burber... Worked a treat, they hate it. I don't know if this would help you?