[Beetroot queen]

Our lettuce grow very well in the early cooler part of the season but once the sun really arrives lettuce don't do very well at all.

Would it be worth while rigging up a shade over one bed to help or is that a daft idea. A lettuce tent or similar. Lol 

[mumofstig]

Yes, when it is hot shade helps - it was the only way I could grow lettuce in Greece 
Try not to overwater to compensate for the heat as the roots then rot off 

[Beetroot queen]

I have some darker net so I will rig up a new shade as we don't really get any although the back has a high hedge. Do lettuce need to be moved or shall I make this more of a permanent shade. 

[Salmo]

Lettuce are happy under dark green mesh cloches
http://www.haxnicks.co.uk/garden/easy-tunnels/easy-net-tunnels/

I plant a row of lettuce along the middle of my runner beans. The beans give them shade and the lettuce are ready before the beans get too rampant.

[Beetroot queen]

Lettuce are happy under dark green mesh cloches
http://www.haxnicks.co.uk/garden/easy-tunnels/easy-net-tunnels/

I plant a row of lettuce along the middle of my runner beans. The beans give them shade and the lettuce are ready before the beans get too rampant.

We have tried the middle of the runners before but it seemed too dark as the lettuce all went really leggy, maybe we have less room between canes. We keep saying we are going to do a munty frame but we have been saying that for years and still haven't. I wanted a simple munty frame but hubby wants the titanic version so it's never been done.

[Salmo]

Sow the lettuce well before you plant the beans out, or transplant well developed plants.

[seaside]

I sow lettuce so that they are shaded somewhat by the greenhouse from 1pm onwards.

[3759allen]

have you tried growing them under fleece? this is how they are grown commercially so can't see why it wouldn't be the same in the plot/ garden.

[kurwin]

If you use fleece would you leave it loose at the ends like a cloche or pin it down?

[marcofez]

Leave it loose-ish as to let it grow. That's what I do.
Works for me!

[samnorfolk]

how long do you cover them in fleece for?

[Salmo]

how long do you cover them in fleece for?

Commercially they stay under the fleece until cutting time. Make sure the fleece is loose to allow the lettuces to grow. Just weigh down or bury the edges. If, like me, you do not have faith that the lettuce will not be squashed, you could put a few props under the fleece to hold it up.

[Beetroot queen]

My outdoor lettuce seem to have done fab under a netted tunnel. Will grow very early lettuce in the poly and then sow later outdoor. Seems to be the answer. I have always removed the tunnel before, once they get going, that must be where I went wrong.

[maxibo]

Can I jump into this thread BQ?  We have built our munty frame (well OH did under my supervision) and we have put wire across the tall end for courgettes to climb up.  We can still get through the sides to pick beans.  Would lettuce do ok in the space underneath of the frame?  Hopefully it will be very shady due to an abundance of bean plants growing over the top and a mass of courgette plants climbing up the front  Thanks!