lettuces for coastal southern california

[Hermitian]

I'm looking for lettuce cultivars that have worked well in coastal southern CA gardens. Anyone?

[socalgardengal]

What varieties are you looking for? I live in Point Loma and everything I planted last year did wonderful. I kept them in 6" pots the whole season but kept them submerged(bottom watered with constant water) the whole time. The only one I didn't have luck with is the iceberg. If you would like seeds let me know. It also helped keeping them in partial shade.

[Hermitian]

Originally Posted by socalgardengal

What varieties are you looking for? I live in Point Loma and everything I planted last year did wonderful. I kept them in 6" pots the whole season but kept them submerged(bottom watered with constant water) the whole time. The only one I didn't have luck with is the iceberg. If you would like seeds let me know. It also helped keeping them in partial shade.

Good to hear!

I'd like one or maybe two varieties from each of these types of lettuce:
Bibb
Butterhead
Romaine
Leaf
Lollo
Oakleaf

What would you recommend?

[socalgardengal]

PM me your address and I'll send you a few varieties that did well for me here. Is there anything else( veggies) you would like? I'll see what else I have. ~Christine

[Hermitian]

I noticed that Johnny's has a very nice list of varietals here: http://www.johnnyseeds.com/assets/in...ereference.pdf

[meadowyck]

This is good info, now to convert it to Florida growing. LOL

So bottom watering and partial shade. I've got a place like that so will put this in my garden book.

thanks for sharing.

would you have any more seeds to share for a SASE? I am only interested in a 3-4 seeds of any kind you have enough to share. I have a small growing area.

[socalgardengal]

Bottom watering is the best. I found out last spring that with regular watering that they dried out too fast. I'll list here what I have. A few I have not tried yet. Sure Jan, I can send you a few to try. Richard let me know if you'd like to try a few also.
Little Gem
Parris Island
Red Deer Tongue
Black Seeded Simpson
Rocky Top( haven't tried)
Cimmaron(haven't tried)
Ice Queen
Prizehead
White Boston
Giant Ceasar
Baby Red mix w/ Forellenschluss, Lolla Rossa, Red Sails,Red Salad Bowl & Rossa di Trento.

[meadowyck]

oh my that Parris Island is calling my name, went to boot camp at Parris Island...LOL

Please send a pm with you mailing address and I'll send seed packages with a SASE for you to return. I've not tried any of them so any would be welcomed.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by meadowyck

This is good info, now to convert it to Florida growing. LOL

So bottom watering and partial shade. I've got a place like that so will put this in my garden book.

thanks for sharing.

would you have any more seeds to share for a SASE? I am only interested in a 3-4 seeds of any kind you have enough to share. I have a small growing area.

Florida growing will be just like Alabama growing. Set lettuce out starting no earlier than late October and continue to set it out right up through February. Anything latter will usually bolt before it can get large enough to pick. Sometimes I have a few that last into late spring but it is rare. Summers are just too hot and muggy for decent lettuce down here.

Bill

[Hermitian]

Yes, when it comes to growing lettuce it would be nice to have more humidity in our otherwise semi-arid southern CA climate.

Anyone tried these in SoCal coastal-influenced conditions?

Winter Density
Rhazes
Adriana
Skyphos
Green Forest
Red Rosie
Panisse
Rouxai
Nevada
Muir

[meadowyck]

thanks Bill.

[socalgardengal]

Gosh, even a few nice rains would be nice

[meadowyck]

That is why I love living in FL, which just happens to be my birth state. When I lived in El Toro, CA I could not get over how there was no rain. Blew my mind all the time while I lived there. Was in San Diego when the earthquake hit and I told 1st H that he needed to tell the Marine Corps that we needed to be stationed where the ground doesn't shake like that....LOL

[b54red]

My lettuce has grown slow this season unlike my spinach. It is about a week away from being ready to start harvesting and this morning it was 14 degrees so despite putting up hoops with plastic over my beds I don't know if any of my fall and winter crops will survive. Haven't woken up to cold like that in many years here. Can't imagine how bad it must be further north.

Bill

[RayR]

Look at the bright side Bill, maybe the cold weather will kill off some of those nasty pests and pathogens that plague you when the warm weather comes.

It's 5°F right now up here and blizzard conditions, haven't seen this kind of weather in some years.