Leggy Lettuces and Raddishes

It is my first time growing lettuce and radishes, and I wanted some advice, I have started these seedlings off and I think they are a bit too leggy, the lettuce are in a south facing window and the radishes in a conservatory where they get top sunlight, but they are starting to look a bit leggy?

Will they be ok?

The radishes are in a deep enough tray that they won't need replanting but might need thinning, is it too early to put these outside?

(they are now 0.5cm more leggy than this photo!)

The lettuce probably will need replanting, can I grow a single lettuce in a pot? Or I might just space them out in a large butler sink? Again is it too early for these seedlings to go outside.





I'm a complete newbie at this, I'm probably asking too many questions, but so far I have found the help on this forum amazing, only wish I could give some advice back.

Nic

 

they look fine to me

 

Hmmmm. If your lettuce seedlings are now more leggy than in the photo, they definitely need to go outside without further delay. You should give them a bit of protection with clear plastic for a week or so. You have so many of them, you can select the shortest and most robust to transplant. But wait until they've got a couple of true leaves before transplanting them. Protect against slugs.

You don't say what type of lettuce they are but if they're a large crisphead type lettuce, you don't need many of them. I find that one large lettuce lasts Mrs Flinty and myself about 3-4 days.

And don't forget to sow some more seed now to provide a succession. Also this is insurance in case your first batch fails.

You can plant lettuce in all sorts of containers but they'll do best if you just put them in the soil.

Your radishes look OK-ish but get them outside as quickly as possible. They go past their best so quickly I expect you'll have to eat them three times a day to avoid wastage!
Again, sow some more immediately, but just a pinch of seed.

 

I think i might have to pop to b&q and get some cheap propagating lids then? I will start more lettuce and radishes at 2 week intervals. and probably only need about 3 lettuces a week?

 

Very informative, do the radishes also need protection?

 

Hi Jazzythumper

Yes, a proper propagating lid would be ideal but I use those clear plastic boxes that supermarkets sell joints of meat in. I tie them onto the seed tray with string if the fit is a bit sloppy! The purpose is to protect the young seedlings from wind and cold temperatures while letting them get as much natural light as possible. Germinating seeds on window sills is fine but the seedlings get leggy very quickly as they lean towards the light. Putting them ouside in full natural daylight is the best way to straighten them up a bit.

You'd need to like lettuce a lot and/or have a big vegetarian family to get through 3 lettuces a week, if they're full grown! One a week is plenty for us.

The radishes are less prone to wind and cold than lettuces, I think, but they'll need protection from slugs too.

 

do both of these need direct sunlight or just daylight? presumably sunlight would be better? if so how much sunlight do they need to get?

 

Jazzythumper

Yup, sunlight is what you want for your veg because otherwise, your little plants will always be looking round for it. If you plant them in a shady spot, they'll lean away from the source of the shade (wall or tree or whatever) and towards where the sunlight should be coming from.

It's hard to say how much sunshine they need. I've got a couple of raised beds that get sun in the early morning for 3-4 hours, then go into shade before getting sun again for most of the afternoon/early evening. The sun finally goes behind my neighbour's house about mid evening. This is for the months May to October. Fast growing summer crops seem to like this fine but I don't think the slow growing stuff that needs to over-winter would do so well. My beds are in shade for most of the winter because the sun doesn't get high enough and so that's when I have to revert completely to supermarket veg.

 

Well I have thinned out the radishes, I am no concerned that I perhaps didn't sow them deep enough, as the red portion of their stem which I assume grows into the edible part is almost entirely above the ground? I am worried that these wont grow into fully edible radishes.

What should I do? Would replanting them so only the leaves and green stem is above ground a good idea?

 

Hi Jazzythumper

If you planted them about 1cm deep to begin with, they shouldn't need to be replanted. Radishes actually develop at ground level and end up sitting mostly out of the soil, like an egg in an egg cup.

Your radishes are looking skinny because they got drawn towards the light after germination. I think all you can do now is try to keep them growing quickly and hope that some swell up into radishes. I've found that some always fail to develop properly, however good their site and situation. If you plant the next little batch now, they'll be coming along while this lot develop (hopefully).

 

Thanks for your help

They are now outside where they get morning sun only is this enough for them? They have daylight all day long?

 

Radishes can tolerate some partial shade because they're often grown in between bigger plants like lettuce or beans which catch most of the sun.

If you're giving them the most sunlight you can, then that's the best you can do. I'd be interested to know how they turn out!