Why can't I grow lettuce?

Is there some magic or secret to growing lettuce that I don't know about? Every year my lettuce seedlings topple over like they aren't getting enough light. My other seedlings (peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, etc) do fine. If I direct sow lettuce outside it does fine.

Do they finally keep growing?

I've read that lettuce needs more light than many crops do, so maybe they're reaching for the light and then get top-heavy?

Have you tried sowing them closer together so they support each other?

Try different varieties of lettuce Not every crop is suited for indoor lights.
Or grow them in sun light.

James Bridger wrote:If I direct sow lettuce outside it does fine.

I feel you have found the solution to growing lettuce.

I find that the way Mother Nature plants her seeds is the best way ever.

First thought on looking at the image - lack of light.  I get the same result when starting lettuce seeds indoors in the sunniest spot - they still go "leggy".  I wonder if one of the varieties with dark red leaves would do better?  - e.g. Lollo rosso.  An opportunity for an experiment!  
Cos (?Romain) with darker green might work too - the darker the leaves on all sorts of plants means they can cope with less light

James Bridger wrote:Is there some magic or secret to growing lettuce that I don't know about?

My first question would be, why are you starting it inside? Lettuce likes cooler temperatures so as long as you have something to cover during colder spells, I would just do that.

I planted mine about 3 or so weeks ago and we had a cold snap here in Ohio. I just kept the plastic box covers on them and they survived just fine.

They are sitting on my porch.

I jumped at reading this because I can't grow lettuce, either. The ones I buy are not grown very far from me and have a soft, mild taste  I plant the same varieties and they end up with a bitter taste. I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

Tiffaney Dex wrote:I jumped at reading this because I can't grow lettuce, either. The ones I buy are not grown very far from me and have a soft, mild taste  I plant the same varieties and they end up with a bitter taste. I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

Lettuce is best harvested often, removing outer leaves to allow the plant to continue to produce. Also it can bolt or become bitter when the temperatures are too hot

For people struggling with lettuce I might suggest Korean bellflower or Campanula takesimana. They are a vigorous perennial with beautiful flowers and leaves that taste and look something like lettuce, but less bitter and smaller. And they grow from the very beginning of the spring into the later parts of fall.

Also in my estimation lettuce is supposed to be bitter… though coddling and greenhouse growing probably minimizes that potential.

Tiffaney Dex wrote:I jumped at reading this because I can't grow lettuce, either. The ones I buy are not grown very far from me and have a soft, mild taste  I plant the same varieties and they end up with a bitter taste. I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

I also make sure to water my lettuce very regularly. Too little water results in a stronger, less yummy taste.

For inside growing, going from the pic, you need to get the lights right down close, then run the lights 12 hrs minimum.

Use a potting soil with better drainage if you can, and if nothing else, and go easy on the watering until established. Damp but not soaked.

Dave Bross wrote:For inside growing, going from the pic, you need to get the lights right down close, then run the lights 12 hrs minimum.

Use a potting soil with better drainage if you can, and if nothing else, and go easy on the watering until established. Damp but not soaked.

I also noticed how waterlogged these seedlings appear.  Forgot to mention it, so thanks 😊

Maieshe Ljin wrote:For people struggling with lettuce I might suggest Korean bellflower or Campanula takesimana. They are a vigorous perennial with beautiful flowers and leaves that taste and look something like lettuce, but less bitter and smaller. And they grow from the very beginning of the spring into the later parts of fall.

Also in my estimation lettuce is supposed to be bitter… though coddling and greenhouse growing probably minimizes that potential.

Very interested in growing this as a lettuce alternative in dry, northern Spain. Out summer temps hit 38-42`C and no summer rainfall.  Are the flowers edible too?

Sarah Joubert wrote:

Very interested in growing this as a lettuce alternative in dry, northern Spain. Out summer temps hit 38-42`C and no summer rainfall.  Are the flowers edible too?

The flowers are edible, as are the roots. I have not tried the latter yet because I want to expand the patch further.

Plants for a Future says they are hardy in USDA zones 4-8, and it makes sense to me because I don’t get the impression they are particularly heat-loving or drought tolerant. They are definitely hardy and perennial, and they’re less bitter than lettuce in heat, and that gives them an advantage in many climates. Their smooth, hairless leaves are telling that they are a plant of moister places, being native to South Korea. If you have some moister, shadier places those might work. But I have never grown them in heat and drought so I wouldn’t know.

They have a hairier cousin, Creeping bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides) who likes to grow in rocky places with partial shade. They are fine in the poor soil of roadsides and rock ledges, and almost seem to require it. The leaves are hairier which makes them a little less lettuce-like but more tolerant of drought. I am sure there are other species native to your region that could be grown as well.

Maieshe Ljin wrote:For people struggling with lettuce I might suggest Korean bellflower or Campanula takesimana.  

Another perennial lettuce alternative is Caucasian spinach (Hablitzia tamnoides). Once established it produces well through early spring to late summer. I think the taste is very like a mild lettuce, and you can also cook the leaves as a spinach.