A little summer heat is appearing in the Sunshine State.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-3...nsland/5179018

The town of Miles QLD hit over 48C (119F). Note this is *not* in the
desert, it is on the downs where the industries are cropping and grazing.

So close to the summer solstice at that latitude the sun would be overhead
at noon.

How would your lettuce be holding up?

David

David Hare-Scott wrote:
A little summer heat is appearing in the Sunshine State.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-3...nsland/5179018


This is confusing, in one place it says Miles reached 48.3C in another
43.8C. I suspect the lower figure is correct, still fairly warm at 111F.

D

On 12/30/2013 5:29 PM, David Hare-Scott wrote:
A little summer heat is appearing in the Sunshine State.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-3...nsland/5179018


The town of Miles QLD hit over 48C (119F). Note this is *not* in the
desert, it is on the downs where the industries are cropping and grazing.

So close to the summer solstice at that latitude the sun would be overhead
at noon.

How would your lettuce be holding up?

David

I had an acquaintance in Las Vegas, Nevada where the temperatures are like
that. She grew all sorts of fancy salad greens but only by dint of
elaborate shade and wind-blocking structures and an automatic misting
system. Far too much work for me -- I grew cacti instead.

David Hare-Scott wrote:
....
How would your lettuce be holding up?

bolting for the sky or getting bitter and
tough?

i'm actually very little experienced with
lettuces here so i'm curious as to how to grow
good lettuce (especially romaine). we have
a variety of gardens to pick from with different
soils, but i suspect one which is inside the
fenced garden will be critical with the critter
populations...

how to keep it from getting bitter? does it
like mulch? soil conditions? pH? amendments?
in most cases i won't be able to do much but for
a small garden i can usually make an exception.

moisture level? constant? somewhat moist?
medium? somewhat dry?

sluggos and snailses usually aren't a horrible
problem here.


songbird

songbird wrote:
David Hare-Scott wrote:
...
How would your lettuce be holding up?

bolting for the sky or getting bitter and
tough?


Or just wilting and not growing.

i'm actually very little experienced with
lettuces here so i'm curious as to how to grow
good lettuce (especially romaine). we have
a variety of gardens to pick from with different
soils, but i suspect one which is inside the
fenced garden will be critical with the critter
populations...

how to keep it from getting bitter? does it
like mulch? soil conditions? pH? amendments?
in most cases i won't be able to do much but for
a small garden i can usually make an exception.

moisture level? constant? somewhat moist?
medium? somewhat dry?

sluggos and snailses usually aren't a horrible
problem here.


songbird

I recommend constant somewhat moist conditions including heavy mulch. I
have not found that pH or the exact nutrient balance makes any difference
but moderately fertile soil that keeps growth going steadily is best. I
give up on lettuce during our hot months as with all the mulch and watering
they still bolt. Perhaps I should be experimenting with shade cloth too.
If anybody had a good article on why exactly they bolt I am interested. It
seems to be related to soil temperature more than air temperature but I am
not certain.

D

David Hare-Scott wrote:
songbird wrote:
David Hare-Scott wrote:
...
How would your lettuce be holding up?

bolting for the sky or getting bitter and
tough?


Or just wilting and not growing.

that too.


i'm actually very little experienced with
lettuces here so i'm curious as to how to grow
good lettuce (especially romaine). we have
a variety of gardens to pick from with different
soils, but i suspect one which is inside the
fenced garden will be critical with the critter
populations...

how to keep it from getting bitter? does it
like mulch? soil conditions? pH? amendments?
in most cases i won't be able to do much but for
a small garden i can usually make an exception.

moisture level? constant? somewhat moist?
medium? somewhat dry?

sluggos and snailses usually aren't a horrible
problem here.

I recommend constant somewhat moist conditions including heavy mulch. I
have not found that pH or the exact nutrient balance makes any difference
but moderately fertile soil that keeps growth going steadily is best.

are you direct seeding or sprouting separately and then
putting the plants out after they've grown a bit?

i have plenty of soil of that type, to protect from critters
most of it is also in the fenced gardens so that will help.

mulch is sometimes harder to come by at the right times as
i rely upon someone else for that and store very little of it.
it gets used up quickly with as many gardens as we have.


I
give up on lettuce during our hot months as with all the mulch and watering
they still bolt. Perhaps I should be experimenting with shade cloth too.
If anybody had a good article on why exactly they bolt I am interested. It
seems to be related to soil temperature more than air temperature but I am
not certain.

i'm not certain either, but it is what the plant must do to
set seed for the next generation. i think one approach to leafy
greens in general to avoid all of them bolting at the same general
time is to plant biannuals like some of the chards, leafy cabbages,
etc. it's not lettuce exactly, but it is close enough.

for my own enjoyment i'm hoping to find some leafy cabbage like
plants that i can just pick and eat as i'm out in the gardens.
that way i avoid the primary complaint of Ma that she doesn't
want the smell of them cooking and i like them raw well enough
too so that will be another approach this year for me to get
more greens going here. perhaps bok choi and some of the
others will work too. worth a try that is for sure.


songbird

On 2/01/2014 8:05 AM, David Hare-Scott wrote:

I give up on lettuce during our hot months as with all the
mulch and watering they still bolt. Perhaps I should be experimenting
with shade cloth too. If anybody had a good article on why exactly they
bolt I am interested. It seems to be related to soil temperature more
than air temperature but I am not certain.

David I'm a bit late in responding to your post (been away for a month
house sitting for a relative who had to have a stem cell transplant and
whilst I was away the home computer committed suicide and I'm only just
getting back to newsgroups) but I've had reasonable success in the hot
weather with growing Italian loose leaf lettuce called 'barba dei
frati'. The last planting was heavily harvested before I went away at
the beginning of December and Himself continued to harvest it all the
time I was away and it's still surprisingly edible even though it has
just begun to get that elongated 'reach for the sky' look that means
there will be flowering soon.

I bought my seeds from one of a supplier at some field day or somesuch,
but I notice they are stocked by the Italian Gardener:
http://theitaliangardener.com.au/cat...DSalad-leaves/