Just over three weeks to Christmas so if you sow some lettuce seeds now you can keep them watered (either in pots or in the soil) so they’ll be established enough to survive without watering if you go away. Or you’ll have some lettuce to eat from your garden in the New Year. They grow quickly at this time of year and prefer some shade, particularly from the afternoon sun. I put four lettuce plants in a 30cm square and pick them a few leaves at a time. Splash out on some new varieties or try a packet of mesclun for the indecisive.
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- Lettuce ‘Freckles’ – some more freckled than others. Sown a month ago in pots and almost ready to pick the first leaves.
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- Lettuce ‘Angela’ – a promising lettuce sown mid October from seed saved by a friend.
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- Lettuce ‘Green Salad Bowl’ – lovely soft ruffled edges on this leaf lettuce. Another new one for this year for me.
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- Lettuce ‘Perella Rougette Montpellier’ takes some writing on a label but is looking perfect inter-planted amongst my corn.
Since the pauatahanui egg farm closed i have nad difficulty sourcing chicken manure for my organic garden. Does anyone know of an alternative source in the wellington area. While comfrey, seaweed, sheep and horse are great for liquid manure and bulking up the compost heap they do notjhave the “Zip”of chiken and I am loathe to use chemical fertilisers.
Regards
george