planting lettuces indoors

[piers]

Hi - I'm a new allotment gardener. My plot's in Boston Manor, London. Anyway, I've been having a lot of success with planting my tomatoes etc indoors, but the lettuce seedlings just get very tall and leggy and then keel over. Does that mean not enough light? Too much heat? What am I doing wrong?

[piers]

[tim]

Light? - yes. Try a 'gro-light' tube?

Heat? - that adds to the problem

Surprised that you can do toms indoors with no trouble?

[terrace max]

The variety of lettuce may be a factor - my greenhouse gets no winter sun at all until mid January but I've had good results from lettuce Winter Crop.

[aquilegia]

I agree with Terrence. I've sown some overwintering lettuces on my kitchen windowsill (well, you know, in pots!) They are now on the fridge as I've run out of room and they are doing fine.

[Jesse]

I sow my lettuces in plug trays, then pot up into small pots once they start "falling over", planting deeply enough so that the stem is under soil but not the "crown". They don't like direct sunlight but do grow well in a very light room. Be careful not to overwater. I've had great success with All Year Round lettuces, they seem to be sturdier little plants than the others I've tried.