Lettuce growing lots of small leaves

Hi

We've had a reasonably good crop of lettuce. However, after cutting off leaves they seem to be growing back as loads of small ones rather than the nice big ones that first grow originally.

Any ideas? am I doing something wrong?

 

No, youi're not doing anything wrong. The lettuce is just becoming 'bushy' as any plant will do. Instead of putting its energy into a few leaves, the roots now have a lot of leaves to feed, hence smaller leaves. As you take leaves off, the remaining ones should grow quicker. I always go for the smaller leaves anyway as they taste sweeter. Just sow more seed

 

can I still sow lettuce from seed this time of year?

 

Yes keep sowing every few weeks, just a dozen or so seeds,(depending on if you eat lettuce every day ,or just once or twice a week )you will soon know when to stop ,and how many. You should be eating in 6/8 weeks,small heads,

 

I have now sown 3 lots of lettuce the last one with new seed (all little gem) but non have germinated has anyone else had this problem.

 

Yes! Lettuce seed can be s*ds to germinate at times. I start them off in trays, keep them slightly damp (don't let them dry out) and keep the sun off them or they'll die off as quick as they germinate. Other than that, lettuce can be an all year round crop, some are better in winter, some better in summer. Here in North Wales, we've got warm cloudy weather and the salad greens are growing like there's no tomorrow

 

I have sown them in the greenhouse and I think it probable was that they were in some sun , but I covered them with a blue plastic mushroom container yesterday and guess what I have 1 lettuce seedling today

 

A lot of vegetable seeds and lettuce especially prefer cool conditions to germinate ,I have one of those mini greenhouses and the cover is broken,but in a shady spot,with no cover, its perfect for starting off some seeds that its to hot in the greenhouse for

 

I used to have a mini greenhouse and I used a capilary type propogater in it, and everything I sowed germinated in it. I thought a glass greenhouse would be better. too good perhaps Ay. Liz