On 24/06/2013 16:37, David.WE.Roberts wrote:
On Sat, 22 Jun 2013 19:40:21 +0100, David Hill wrote:

On 22/06/2013 19:06, David.WE.Roberts wrote:
A week or so back I bought some Cos lettuce plants from a local
nursery.

They are growing well and fast in the 'raised bed' bags but so far they
don't look like the picture on the label :-)

At the moment they are more like a leaf lettuce than a heart lettuce -
but it looks as though the heart is beginning to develop.

If this carries on, I think I will have a lettuce heart and a more or
less redundant ring of leaves around the base.

So when can I pick these outer leaves for an early crop without
compromising the forming of the heart?

Cheers

Dave R

You don't say what variety they are.

Just checked and they are Little Gem Delight.

They certainly seem to be going for it.

Cheers

Dave R

If they're Little Gem then I wouldn't touch the outer leaves, by taking
some off you might let Botritus into the stem of the plant