Crisphead Lettuce Types

Have two questions first being what method do you use to start you lettuce seedlings? More like herbs and use a clump method or more like tomato or other veggies? Second I'm going to grow for Fall, which is still hot to pretty warm here so I'm looking for Crisphead lettuce types I have Romaine, Black Seeded Simpson, also have Mesclun Mix and Little Gem Pearl. The first three I'm pretty sure will do ok but how about LGP? I can fit 8 seedlings per EB so should have plenty of space, and I have plenty of time since this doesn't get planted till Sept. 1 (don't have to start the seedlings till Aug)

Thanks for the help

I just took notes on warm weather lettuces. This is what I came up with:

Lau's Pointed Leaf
Ben Sheman
Bronze Mignonette (supposedly for tropical regions)
red oakleaf
green oakleaf
Little Gem
Australian yellow
Black Seed Simpson
Salad Bowl
Deer Tongue
Yugoslavian Red
Green Ice

I sow all my own lettuces directly, but we do use a greenhouse at church. I grow many of these and other lettuces almost all winter long too. Should also be easily done in your climate!

GGG

Cool thanks..this Little Gem looks soo good I'm already drooling *LOL* I can't wait, I've ordered 3 more EB's so I'm going crazy making a list of all the new things I can grow. Now I need to figure out where I'm going to PUT them!

I start my seedlings inside and then transfer them once the weather is warm enough in the spring. One year I had to move a bunch of my lettuce, which I had sowed in the garden, and accidentally found out I got better plants after I spaced them out. This seems to work pretty well for me.

I grew Black Seeded Simpson this spring, and it was one of the first varieties to bolt for me, although my red oakleaf lettuce is doing great!

You can also, if you wish, start your lettuce in a seed starter pack --- like you would with tomatoes --- and then transplant a couple of weeks after they've emerged. Nothing wrong with direct sowing (as GGG) recommends, but with transplanting you get a little more control of precise spacing if that is an issue in a small space (plus you will need to thin the lettuce unless you have exceptional aim with those small seeds) and starting them in a seed pack makes it easy to do so, simply thinning down to the best emerging plant in each cell. Good luck.

Edited to say another post with a similar message appeared while I was typing my response! :)

This message was edited Jun 28, 2007 3:26 PM

Yes, I guess I should have stated that I do not grow my lettuces to full size. Because of my fear of them getting bitter down here, I tend to grow them as cut and come again, or as baby lettuces mixed with a few other types of greens (or reds).

GGG