All Kinds of Lettuces

[ladyjane]

Hi there.  I am still waiting for AG delivery of WiFi Harvest unit.  In the meantime trying to learn from you tube and this forum.  Today i purchased 10 different lettuce pods.  My apartment temperature runs about 73 to 75 degrees.  Should i let one main seedling grow or more?   Will i be successful at those temperatures?  Which kind if lettuce should a beginner start with?

Thanks for your answers 

[Happy]

The temperature will be fine for lettuce :-)
I don't think that I've ever had a lettuce failure. I prefer the darker, more compact romaine types, but you might prefer looser-leaf types.
Have fun experimenting, and please let us know your findings!

My favorite lettuce (in my old AGing days) was Baby Star from Park Seed, but they don't offer it any more. So I'm going to try other varieties that sound similar, and will post my findings in the future.

Enjoy your lettuces!

My apartment gets hot as well, but I have been having luck with lettuce this year, growing my projects leaving the little rubber lid over the fill corner unfastened and open to cool off the water a bit.. I haven;t tried adding a few ice cubes as some do and find helpful, but that is another option that works very well in the heat.You may want to try an easy one to grow such as the Salad Greens pods. I have always had success with those. BUT..you should grow what you fancy most ! Just Jump on in.

I usually plant a full deck of lettuce, not mixing them, but the kits do come mixed, so it is fine to mix up the varieties. I just personally like to grow 1 or 2 similar loose leaf varieties..

[MaryL]

Mike has grown a Jericho lettuce he loves. The origin of the seed is Israel so it can withstand warm weather.  

I just bought this Jericho from Renee’s Seeds.  I’m not sure it’s the same one because some are heirlooms and some are hybrid.

www.reneesgarden.com/products/lettuce-romaine-organic-jericho

[Shawn]

I am growing some Jericho now!~

[ladyjane]

Aug 4, 2018 21:33:33 GMT -5 @cornne said:

My apartment gets hot as well, but I have been having luck with lettuce this year, growing my projects leaving the little rubber lid over the fill corner unfastened and open to cool off the water a bit.. I haven;t tried adding a few ice cubes as some do and find helpful, but that is another option that works very well in the heat.You may want to try an easy one to grow such as the Salad Greens pods. I have always had success with those. BUT..you should grow what you fancy most ! Just Jump on in.

I usually plant a full deck of lettuce, not mixing them, but the kits do come mixed, so it is fine to mix up the varieties. I just personally like to grow 1 or 2 similar loose leaf varieties..

Thanks you Corinne for this response.  I was thinking that the 73 degrees was not on the hot side.  Have a thermometer in the kitchen and that seems to be the reading most of the time.  I will most likely start with the familiar lettuce of romaine.  It is supposed to be the most nutritious of the lettuce family.  

[ladyjane]

Aug 4, 2018 21:28:03 GMT -5 Happy said:

The temperature will be fine for lettuce :-)
I don't think that I've ever had a lettuce failure. I prefer the darker, more compact romaine types, but you might prefer looser-leaf types.
Have fun experimenting, and please let us know your findings!

My favorite lettuce (in my old AGing days) was Baby Star from Park Seed, but they don't offer it any more. So I'm going to try other varieties that sound similar, and will post my findings in the future.

Enjoy your lettuces!

Please keep us posted on any other lettuce varieties you are liking.  Thanks for responding.

My all time fave is Salad Bowl , seeds available all over the internet! I have several projects in my Garden Section on the forum.

Also, Shawn has a "Recommended Seeds' section and you may find some future ideas there!

[ladyjane]

Today is day #5 of the lettuce growing cycle.  I used the lettuce types in pods that came with the Harvest unit.  I see 4 of them have tiny leaves just poking up but not through the growing hole in the pods.  The other two, Paris Island and Red Sails are not active yet. So Black Seeded Simpson wins the germination race!     The way my budgies love lettuce it will be a real feast for them both.

[ladyjane]

I decided to let go of all attempts to get the WiFi going as it should be according to what I purchased.  In hind sight I should have bought the Harvest Touch.  Well, you know what they say about hind sight.    

[Shawn]

Adorable birds.

Those birds are beautiful!

The Black Seeded Simpson used to be my favorite for a long while simply because it grew so fast! I bet you will become a fan of that one!

[MaryL]

Sweet, exquisite creatures - those colors!  I anticipate that you will really enjoy feeding them from your own garden (even if you may have to supplement. I have no idea their rate of  intake ).  Labor of love all around.

[ladyjane]

Just passed day 28 and all is well.  I am letting the lettuce leaves grow for a while since a few days ago I pretty much ate all the larger leaves.  Cleaned the Harvest AG unit using bleach yesterday.  Seems like the leaves at least grew 50% more overnight.  After they bolt and the lettuce is not producing I think I will give the unit a little rest.  Herbs are on the radar screen for next time and I know they require longer light and slower growing.  Any advice on this will be welcome<img style="max-width:100%;" alt="" src='http://

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[MaryL]

Nice tender lettuces. How did your budgies like them?

Regarding herbs, any kind of basil is easy to grow, and I’d say fairly quickly for an herb.  I have a ton of different kinds of basil seeds if you want any (I put them on my seed list under the Seed Sharing section). Cilantro is the hardest to germinate.  What kind of herbs do you like?

[ladyjane]

I have a box of herb pods to plant that came with the Harvest unit.  Thanks for you offer.  It has 2 kinds of basil, mint, thyme, dill and curly parsley.  I think the thyme grows the slowest and should be planted in the front and the basils in the back.  Not sure if I will use the mint.  Really have no use for mint.  The bird nibble on the fresh lettuce leaves when I hold them in my hand.  I also tear some to put in with their veggie chop but much of that gets wasted.  Gave some lettuce leaves to a 93 year old friend today and she was so grateful.   

[ladyjane]

Day 32 since planting the Heirloom Salad Greens.  Here is my lunch today - literally a bowl of lettuce with a sesame ginger dressing.    

[Shawn]

Lovely looking greens!

Yum!

[ladyjane]

Now I am wondering how much longer the lettuce will last.   I seem to need to add a little water each day to keep up to the line.  Wont that dilute the nutrients?