Kitchen Garden Forum

I've recently sown some Rosetta winter lettuce in the greenhouse bed where tomatoes were, but some of them have "wilted" and the leaves are falling off. Thought it was slugs, but pellets have been untouched.Perhaps some other creepy-crawlie in the soil? Those I put in pots on a bench are thriving. Thanks for any info
John N.

Hello John
At this time of year I always sow in small modules, a few seeds per cell then thin to one in each cell,and then plant out when the plants look strong enough to cope on their own. I think direct sowing is much more tricky at this time even in a greenhouse. Its difficult to get the watering right in a bed and too much may be the cause of wilting in your seedlings.

John

Sorry John, I wasn't clear. I put seedlings in the greenhouse bed, about 3in high, raised in a tray.
John N

Sorry to bore you all with this but it's annoying me!
In the greenhouse this morn and found one of the potted lettuces "wilting". Excavated it gently and it fell in half, just below the base of the leaves, under the soil, just above the start of the tiny roots. Brownie rot-coloured on the break, but no sign of pests in the soil, unless they are very very small ones.
John N

Hi John,
To me this sounds like Woodlice damage.
There are those on this forum who maintain the Woodlice are harmless but if they are in your greenhouse what you have done by planting anything they will think 'manna from heaven'. Woodlice are night feeders.
If you have any debris around clear it all out.
Is this a wooden greenhouse? If so and it is rotting at the base then that is a favourite hiding place.
If you have a staging try growing one or two in large pots. Protect by standing a pot or pots upside down in a bowl of water and place the pots on the up turned pots. Woodlice do not like water.
Check any compost you might use as they like hiding in that as well.
JB.

John

Johnboy may well be right about woodlice, not that I have ever found them a problem with lettuce when watered correctly.
Another possibility, which I have had in cool, damp conditions, is GREY MOULD(Botrytis cinerea), which will cause quite well-established lettuce plants to rot at soil level and below, leaving the brown coloured rot you describe.

What variety are you growing? Some are more resistant than others.

Hi Alan,
I used to grow two 60ft Polytunnels full of lettuce for the Christmas period and Woodlice were a real pest. They gnaw the stalk, either at ground level or slightly below the surface, and I suspect that they in their turn may well cause damage which attracts the Botrytis at root level. Botrytis will attract anywhere on the plant but generally on the leaves.
JB.

Johnboy
I wasn't ruling out woodlice - I suspect they are involved in letting botrytis into the root/stem area.

This is the only helpful picture I could find



From THIS SITE.

I think you might find the problem is cutworm.It is a caterpillar that lives just under soil level and eats through the stems at soil level.If you riddle the top inch or so of soil where the damage is I am sure you will find it or them.I lost 8 plants and found 2 caterpillars.
Allium

Thanks all. Looks like a multi-attack from combined forces - have to call in the heavy artillery!
Alan: Lettuce is Rosetta. JB: It is a wooden greenhouse, but cedar, mounted on concrete edging. But floor is paving slabs, which I douse with Jesus Fluid every Spring to keep the woodlice down. Have to do it again. I wonder if a sprinkling of Chlorophos round each plant would deal with cutworms/woodlice?
John N