I have checked around if anyone had grown lettuce around here in Tanah Merah. The answer is unanimously NONE. I was discussing with Kakdah if we should try salad and grow as many as we can. I finished the whole packet for germination. I guess it's almost 100% germination!
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| lettuce in brown plastic pots |
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| lettuce |
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| lettuce |
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| lettuce |
The growing media consists of cocopeat, a bit of peatsoil and fertiliser. We apply organic fertiliser and spray foliar fertiliser once a week.
Kakdah had a few cut for dinner. There is a hint of mild bitterness in them. I googled, and it says about lettuce really a cool weather plant, therefore extra heat will make it bitter, a signal for them ready to go for flowering... Some studies mentioned about too much nitrogen, thus bitter. I am figuring out the best approach to make it less bitter.
lettuce in brown plastic pots, and some still in germination tray
Some are still in germination tray... some already in pots. I thought the soft green colour is sweet... lovely. So, with so many lettuce, I wonder what Kakdah has in mind....
bangchik and kakdah
Well the hotter weather will mean that you probably don't have slugs. Your lettuce looks great.
ReplyDeleteJen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
There are many variety of lettuce, I was surprise when I came to OZ. Especially when there are summer and winter lettuce. I am not pretty sure but I think the cos lettuce type thrive much better in summer. Your lettuce look really good.
ReplyDeleteYour lettuce looks luscious. I have never been able to grow it here in Bangaalore..
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on successfully growing them, they looked so healthy Bangchik! Ive tried growing mine, those pinkish green ones but all attempts failed!
ReplyDeleteIt looks great, Bangchik! Maybe, you'll become an exclusive lettuce grower in your area!
ReplyDeleteMuddy Boot Dreams
ReplyDelete~ So far no slugs around here. Give it a couple of years, the garden, and the whole residential area will mature, then the more organic matter and cooler surroundings will attract slugs.
Malay-Kadazan girl
~ It must be the summer lettuce I am growing now. I am currently germinating "sky rocket" variety, still small with third leaf just appearing.
lotusleaf
~ keep trying, one day seeds will germinate. They really need shady area.
p3chandan
~ thanks. The seeds packet says lettuce no 4, suitable for hot and humid conditions. The plants are placed in shady area, at the front porch. Sunlight gets to them for an hour or two after 4pm. That probably be the main reason why they are able to survive til today.
Seeds were soaked for 2 hours, drained and then wrapped in kitchen tissue. Within a few days they germinated. That's a bit of info I would like to share...
May I know where you purchase the lettuce seeds ? I am about to start my urban farmer life.. those selling at my local grocery doesn't seems to work well..
DeleteMay I know where you purchase the lettuce seeds ? I am about to start my urban farmer life.. those selling at my local grocery doesn't seems to work well..
DeleteI bought them from local supermarket......
DeleteTatyana@MySecretGarden
ReplyDelete~ I hope so...., I am beginning to feel the exclusiveness of being single minded about vegetable growing in this area. I think in Malaysia not many bother to grow lettuce in the lowland. They thrive at higher altitude like Cameron Highland and Kundasang.
That's a lot of Lettuce! They look so lush and green!
ReplyDeleteDear Bang Chik and Kak Dah, I've grown the same variety of lettuce in my aquaponic system and also in soil. The ones in my aquaponic were under 90% shade netting and they were no bitterness at all, instead they were sweet and crisp. The ones in soil were unshaded and thus quite bitter. Hope this help.
ReplyDeleteThey look healthy, produce more and supply them to the supermarket, haha! That variety is maybe really a bit bitter.
ReplyDeleteMalar
ReplyDelete~thanks.... everyone can grow lettuce now, knowing they dont like sunlight...
mahfudz mn
~ thanks for the info.., so that explains the bitterness. 90% netting is very shady!
Andrea
~ yeap... I am considering that option. Exclusive supplier of organic-lowland lettuce to the supermarket and local markets!
Your lettuce looks great! Mine failed! Will have to try again!
ReplyDeletekitchen flavours
ReplyDelete~ It's alright, keep on trying. The trick seems to be Lettuce Hate Tropical Sunlight.
Yes, lettuce turns horribly bitter in hot weather. You can look for "heat resistant' varieties. Here in the southern part of the USA, I have to plant those varieties and get it all harvested by May. Anything growing now, even if it hasn't bolted (gone to seed) tastes awful. And doesn't the bitter taste linger in the mouth? Shuddering to think about it. Good luck with your lettuce adventures!
ReplyDeleteJeanne
ReplyDelete~ thank you very much. I am learning how to handle lettuce. They really dislike hot weather. The best that we can do is to provide enough shade from germination to the harvest.
Well done. The lettuce looks great!
ReplyDeleteThe Seasonal One
ReplyDelete~ thanks.., everything seems alright, except for the slight bitterness.
Try blanching the plants. It may helps to reduce the bitterness.
ReplyDeleteHi, did you put them under fan or just under the sky?
ReplyDeleteJust at the shady part of the garden..
DeleteI can’t
ReplyDeleteI can’t get my lettuce to grow .. growing in containers from my balcony in Kuala Lumpur .. after the tiny third leaf , it stops growing and eventually dies off after a month . Cucumber and peria is doing well.. lettuce and tomato .. baddddd :(
ReplyDelete