All Our Yesterdays
Old Hand explains to beginners how to sow and care for lettuces
OF all the vegetable crops that are grown, I think the beginner looks upon lettuce as the easiest of them to cultivate and this often leads to general bad management. It is very surprising how much trouble this crop can give the beginner, although it is comparatively easy to grow.
What are these failures? The most common, I think, is gluts. In many gardens one sees far too many rows of lettuce that are maturing all at once and which will never be used even after many have been given away to neighbours. Another common failing is the amount of heads that run to seed. This is caused either through overcrowding or by the use of the wrong variety.
This unfortunate approach to lettuce cultivation can be easily overcome if several facts are remembered. First, you must realise that you cannot purchase any variety of seed and expect it to do really well at any time of the season. It is true that there are some varieties that can be termed general-purpose lettuce, which will give reasonable returns throughout most of the season, and in a wide variety of weather conditions. However, I would like you to practise the method of sowing certain varieties throughout the year that have been specifically raised to suit weather and soil conditions.
Wide range of varieties
A glance through a reliable seed catalogue will reveal a wide range of varieties, and if you look closely you will find that each of them is noted for its own particular merits. You can, for instance, find a lettuce that is reliable in hot, dry seasons. Another one is suited for frames and cloches. Yet another will produce good heads in a position that receives little sun during the early and latter part of the year. The choice of variety can be narrowed down still further when you consider size and eating quality.
The cultivation of the crop requires little skill, but plenty of common sense. A small packet of seed contains a large number of seeds and you must not be tempted to sow the whole lot at once. Lettuce sowing should be frequent and small.
There is much to be said for sowing the seeds as thinly as possible and then thinning out the seedlings later so they remain where they are and mature where they have been sown. The thinnings can be planted elsewhere in the garden. However, where possible I try to avoid transplanting, for in difficult soils this operation does check the plants and they never seem to get away as well as those that were not disturbed.
Choosing your plants
If you do not want to raise your plants from seed, select the plants you buy with care. It amazes me that beginners often plant very large lettuce plants that never settle down, and consequently a poor crop is produced. Always aim for small sturdy plants. The soil in which the plants are set out must be well drained and at the same time must be as retentive of soil moisture as possible.
The hoe can play a valuable part in the cultivation of your lettuce and it should be kept moving down the rows while the seedlings are still small, otherwise weeds will take command and the result will be a lot of unnecessary labour and weak, straggly plants.
Birds can be troublesome where young lettuce are concerned and even fully grown lettuce can be severely damaged by pigeons. Some form of protection is necessary and, if you take my advice and grow only a few rows at a time, this protection will not present a problem. The simplest method is to cover the rows with fine-mesh netting that can be pegged down at intervals.