"Rod Speed" writes:
None of them have done much except the icebergs.
They havent died, just havent done much growth wise.

You need good soil with heaps of rotted manure for leafy vegetables.
Unimproved soil will see them just sit and stagnate, at best, before
dying or going to seed. Nitrogen-rich soil is an absolute necessity.

In summer, hold off planting out seedlings until the weather forecast
is for a couple of cool, showery days. Plant in the cool near evening,
and provide each seedling with a couple of sprigs of fern (or twigs off
any shrub with small shady leaves), to protect the seedlings when the
sun comes out. If they at any stage lie flat on the ground, you have
lost them. Water well immediately, and 4 or 5 times daily after that
while they get established. If they at any time wilt, you have lost
out. Try and plant out so each carries its own cube of potting mix, to
avoid disturbing the roots. Obviously, it's the roots that are
responsible for the uptake of water.

In summer, the hearting lettuce easily get sunburnt where part turns
white or brown. The small, quick-growing leafy varieties are to be
recommended for home gardeners.

Watering once a day is way too infrequent; three times in hot weather
at least, with sprinklers during the hottest part of the day. If they
at any time wilt, you have lost out: they will never reach their best.

My father used to grow and sell the big hearting type, Great Lakes I
think they were. They take too long to mature for my liking.

I only ever grew Buttercrunch. They were SUPPOSED to be a cool weather
variety, but they seemed to love summer provided I kept the water up
to them. Can't say I've seen those in the seed merchants for a long
time. They don't heart, so I could pick a few outside leaves off as
desired.

No one has mentioned birds. Sparrows love lettuce, and will devour them
right to ground level. Fashion a piece of shade cloth right and it
should serve the two functions: sun block and bird protection. Indian
Mynahs are also on my list of suspects.

And need I draw attention to slugs and snails? (Just don't kill the
giant leopard slugs; these guys are carnivorous and eat the pesky
ones.)

They get plenty of water, once a day from one of those
soaker hoses that sort of weep water rather than spray it.

That's not "plenty". You'll be lucky if they even hang on to life at
that infrequent rate. Three times, or you're not serious. The
evaporation from lettuce leaves is extreme.

Is it just that they dont like the very hot weather ?

Sure is. And it causes them to bolt to seed.

Can you try growing them in pots, so that you can move them around
to be in shade during midday and afternoon?

For "always fresh" leaves you can buy a hydroponic lettuce from the
supermarket, then sit it in a bowl of water near a bright window and
pick off 3 or 4 leaves each day. Could even try planting it in wet
soil to see whether it won't grow a bit more while you're harvesting.
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)