Lambs Lettuce

[Alice]

Does anybody manage to grow Lambs Lettuce. I plated some outdoors with my other salad leaves ages ago as packet says they can be harvested all year round. All my other salad leaves did great and we've been eating them for weeks, but the lambs letuce did not germinate. I then planted some in a seed tray. They took 2 weeks to germinate and the seedlings are the tiniest, weediest looking things. I can't imagine them coming to anything. What's the secret of success with them

[Shortie]

Rat, did you say before that you've grown it? Could be making that up though.....

[Birdie Wife]

Hi Shortie, you're a Moderator! Just noticed, congrats (I think!), what an awesome responsibility!

[Shortie]

Cheers for that. Hopefully not too big a responsibility!

Lookign forward to it (if that's the right thing to say?)

[Alice]

Hi Shortie, congrats on being a Moderator. Hate to be so selfish but what about my Lambs Lettuce

[Shortie]

Sorry, did get diverted there didn't we...

I'll try and dig something out of my books tomorrow, but never grown them myself so afraid it will be text book talk!

[pigletwillie]

BGirdie wife,

I grew somwe last year and I was so dissapointed in it that the seeds went in the bin and the miserable plants composted. I now grow mixed leaves in the tunnel or greenhouse for over winter leaves.

[Alice]

Thanks Piglet, that was the kind of conclusion I was coming to. I'll give them a few more days to see if anything dramatic happens - then it's the compost heap.

[Lesley Jay]

I thought lambs lettuce had small rounded leaves but the packet I bought grew leaves that were straight. So does any one know what the small rounded leaf variety is called?

[Alice]

The variety I am growing (ha ha) is Elan. The picture shows small rounded leaves but the germination is awful and the rate of growth for the few that have germinated is sad. I don't think they are going to come to anything. Sadly, I think it's for the compost heap. There could be much better things in the space.

[iainhawk]

Hi

i am growing Lambs lettuce 'Verte de Cambrai' variety, it did take an age to germinate and grow but it is doing well now. It has small round dark-ish green leaves. I sowed it in a row alongside radish and lettuce- i have harvested all of those and onto my second sowing..and the lambs lettuce is about 3-4 weeks off being able to harvest.

I guess if you want a quick crop that is not the one for you- but try sowing a row every 2 weeks and then you will have a plentiful supply eventually- and it is tasty... but other things are better- have you tried american land cress- that is growing really well and is tasty.

[MrsG]

I'd be inclined to take a slice of bread and butter to it and have a snack whilst working, bit better than the compost heap

[Alice]

Thanks Iain, A few of the lambs lettuce have germinated and are growing slowly so I think I'll persevere with them. The other salad leaves and little gem are just great, been eating them for weeks. I'll try the American land cress thanks and see how that goes.