Working on the winter garden. My lettuce looks so happy!! But tastes so bad!! What am I doing wrong?
We have Butter, Romaine, and Red Loose Leaf....
For all of you accomplished lettuce gardeners out there... my lettuce looks really "pretty"... and it has been in the ground less than a month (two weeks at the most)... why does it taste bitter? How do you "harvest" lettuce? I need guidance!I don't grow veggies except for 'maters. I prefer Herbs and Flowers.
Oh well, the flowers are planted that will winter here and bloom. They have been planted to take the place of the plants that will die after we get a good freeze. But I surely was looking forward to my own tasty lettuce for the next little while!!
Having fun with the blog. Looking and learning. Thanks to all have visited and wrote! It is greatly appreciated. Probably will post more photos later as I live with my camera, in my garden, and can't help but post my precious photos! Warmest to All, RLw aka The Flying Orchid
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ReplyDeleteLet me try this again. If you shade your lettuce, maybe it won't be as bitter?
ReplyDeleteAlso try some other varieties. If lettuce bolts, it can downright nasty. Good luck.
I shade my lettuce, even at high altitude because of hail. But it keeps it from bolting too early and getting bitter. Hope this helps you.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteYour lettuce looks great. I'm not sure why it is bitter. Hopefully, some expert vegetable growers will be able to help out. Please share the 'secret' if you find the solution :)
Try removing the ribs from the lettuce leaf, like you would do for mustard. Sometimes, that rib is just bitter!
ReplyDeleteAlso, have you sprayed it with a fertilizer, herbicide or manure tea? That would be a contributing factor, too.
You could shade it, but in winter, I grow mine in full sun.
If all else fails, you can talk to your extension agent. He/She may have some ideas about it.
This is very frustrating, I know. Sorry I don't know for certain what is wrong.
Sometimes it is the temperature and moisture that causes lettuce to be bitter. Has it been pretty warm down there? I think lettuce prefers cooler temps so that may be it if it's been warm. It also might me the kind of lettuce. It is not mesclun is it? And actually lettuce? Mesclun can be bitter. I need to plant some though as my lettuce did not even come up. That is one veggie that the seeds don't last.
ReplyDeleteI have the exact same alligator as Tator in my garden. I bought him at a flea market on I40 in eastern Tennessee. I need to give mine a name now. Hmmm, I'll have to think on that one. Tator is a good name for sure.
I came over from Rosey's blog. I liked your comment so thought I'd come check you out. Looks like you have lots of fun on your blog.