And it is really bitter.Why? Somehow I found the seed package and it is "Grand Rapids" if that has anything to do with it? I tried leaves from both the top and the bottom with the same results. If this is the nature of the beast I have waited a long time for nothing. Thoughts?
MJ

On Mon, 2 Jun 2014 06:54:21 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

And it is really bitter.Why? Somehow I found the seed package and it
is "Grand Rapids" if that has anything to do with it? I tried leaves
from both the top and the bottom with the same results. If this is the
nature of the beast I have waited a long time for nothing. Thoughts?

Hmm. Maybe you waited too late. How hot is it where you are? Heat
will make lettuce taste bitter.

We had wonderful luck growing Grand Rapids last year and this year and
it was a delicious tender lettuce, not bitter at all. We grew ours
from seed as well. However, we pulled up or cut back all out lettuces
at the same time when the weather started to get too warm for them.
They do taste better, and grow better, when temperatures are cooler.

We actually had better luck here growing it in the fall. It kept
producing, and stayed sweet, right up until the first frost. You
might want to try it again as a fall crop.

MJ

bluechick

In my experience this is usually caused by lack of water/poor soil.
Have you tried one that is only a few weeks old?
Maybe harvest them before they are even close to maturity.
Boron/Borax in small quantities will 'sweeten' most fruits, but I don't know about lettuce...