Sowing salad seeds - help

I am not an accomplised gardener but trying to learn through trial and error. I have recently sown seeds for lambs lettuce and rocket. I tried these last year as well. The result is always the same. The germinate quickly and produce their seed leaves then they just die! Looking closely at the soil I can see tiny white bugs. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong. I used seed compost and covered propogation trays. Any advice would be most welcome, I am getting my 5 year old involved and it is a disappointment for us both.

Mini

 

How tiny?

If the compost is kept too wet you can get the sciarid fly larvae living among it

Have you also noticed tiny black flies hopping about the pots

I get good success with rocket by just sowing it direct in the soil

 

Hi Steve, thanks for your reply. The bug are about 1-2 mm in length and very skinny. I thought the compost was a bit dry so watered it about a week ago - maybe I over did it. We're in rented accomodation at the moment looking for a house so everything I'm growing is in pots or growbags. Do you think sowing rocket seed directly into grow bags a better option? I'm going to sow some more and be more ecconomical with the water. Thanks for the advice I'll keep you posted.

Mini

 

Sounds like sciarid fly grubs

Give them a try in growbags, I'm sure they'll do ok, do you like the nutty taste of rocket

 

Hi, yes I love rocket, also lambs lettuce so I was trying to grow that as well.