Lettuce crisis

[Pawty]

Hi,

So, with lots on the news this week about the lettuce crisis I thought I had best start some off.

I have lots of seeds and was just trying to decide which to go with. Out of curiosity I thought I'd have a look at plants for sale from some well known suppliers - I know there's a lettuce crisis on but £6.95 for 20 little gem plants!!! (+ around £3 postage - that's 50p a plant - barmy!!).

I'm thinking about a new business opportunity here!

Pawty

[Pa Snip]

Watch the applications for plots increase

[tigerburnie]

I can't actually eat it as it upsets my tummy, but I do grow a few for the family. Shalln't be in a rush just yet, maybe a months time, I shall under sow my tomatoes with a few varieties.

[peter]

Short term shortsge due to flooding(?) in Spain.
Supply will catch up when the growers resowimg is ready for harvest.

Social media seems to encourage stupidity on this kind of thing. Not as if an absence of specific green vegetables is important if alternatives exist.

Further to that, this is all stuff thst for the UK is out of season!

[Geoff]

Thinking of adding security to the polytunnel; word might get around that I have Rocket, Cress, Land Cress, Endive, Lettuce, Chard and Spinach though the Iceberg haven't grown much over Winter. Planted 10 Rocket potatoes in there today and did sprinkle a few All The Year Round Lettuce under the cloche with them, not expecting much from them but they were free seeds.

[Pa Snip]

Social media seems to encourage stupidity on this kind of thing.

Further to that, this is all stuff thst for the UK is out of season!

The power of hype, helped along by media assisting the supermarkets.
Why would the majority of domestic users need to buy more than one lettuce at a time, Buy 3 use 1 as 2 rot.

[JohnN]

Plenty of lettuce in Tesco Gatwick this morning!

[oldherbaceous]

I dare bet the growers aren't getting the hugely inflated prices.....

[John]

Why do these people need to eat iceberg lettuce in the middle of winter?
John

[Monika]

Why do these people need to eat iceberg lettuce in the middle of winter?
John

That thought did occur to me!

[Westi]

It's all hype that is press & social media led! Plenty of other lettuce varieties still available in the shops. The biggest angsty person at work sharing this hype only puts these in her health drinks - try eating them maybe or diverting from the hard & fast 'recipe'.

[Pawty]

Hi,

Completely agree!

However, Irrespective of the lettuce crises though, the supplier (no names given) is still selling little gem seedlings at 50p a plant all year round! This is utter madness!

So, if I can do only one thing this year, it's to encourage new growers to try and grow seasonally and from seed! Cheap, healthy and you'll get so pride in eating that yummy salad leaf! Yes - sometimes it'll fail, and yes, sometimes the slugs will enjoy it before you get chance to but hey .... a pack of lettuce seed (>300 seeds) is probably less that £1 - think how many lettuces you'll end with!

Pawty

[Westi]

Indeed Pawty! xx 50p a plant??

[Primrose]

Well the £1 living salad leaves seedlings in punnets I planted out in the autumn under cloches have survived all the frosts but are still a little thin for harvesting . So far we have been able to buy our lettuce needs but there are so many other types of winter salads one can enjoy with green and red cabbage for coleslaw, raw carrots, beetroot, apples, etc that a little ingenuity should get one through the shortages.

[Geoff]

I've had a wooden box of half mustard half mizuna going in the tunnel all Winter from free KG seeds, that's good value!