[strider84]

Hello,

Just looking for some advice on the best organic protection for my lettuces.

Currently they are under 2 litre coke bottles but they are fast running out of space so the cloches are soon going to need to come off..........

What can I use to protect them? I don't have any 5 litre bottles......... I do have fleece if i bury the edges would slugs be able to get in/under?

Many thanks

Matt

[mumofstig]

If it's slugs you are worried about - they are in the soil so can come up anywhere - most people use slug pellets.

[baldy-bob]

I'm actually picking my lettuce now and have been doing for the last 2 weeks. All I did was net them and slug pellet them. They are clean as a whistle.

[Yorkie]

You can get slug pellets that are deemed OK for organic use.

[DD.]

I'm not quite sure how to put this, so please don't take this the wrong way.

Lettuce are one of the easiest things to grow. I have major problems with pigeons stripping peas, brassicas - most other things I put out, but they don't go for my lettuce. I've just harvested 13 Little Gem Lettuce that I had to carry back as two lots in my rucksack. No nets, just a few pellets.

The cloches could actually be causing your problems. They're a good hiding place for slugs and are elevating the temperatures that lettuce hate. They could be expanding without creating any heart.

Stop mollycoddling them. Give them some natural air. Let them breath. 

[viettaclark]

I agree DD.
Also, at this time of year they need shade and water. I bung mine in troughs on a table under the trees so they get some sunshine but don't overheat.
Obviously you can't do that on the plot and you may find they bolt.
My best lettuce comes in Spring and Autumn.....not so good when you want Summer salad!!!!

[seaside]

You can get slug pellets that are deemed OK for organic use.

I've just started using these. At the moment, they seem effective as anything that keeps slugs off new parsley seedlings or young dahlias is doing it's job.
The soil association do seem to ok the judicious use of these pellets provided one has a bad slug problem and other efforts are employed. Wildlife and pets are not affected, barring the slugs themselves. The pellets also apparently decompose into mineral fertiliser !
It all sounds a bit too good to be true and still doesn't feel right, but they do have an organic label for farming purposes.

[3759allen]

i've left my lettuces uncovered so far and they've been left alone. just one sprinkle of pellets when i first planted but they must have all gone now.

the pigeons have not touched them at all. un like the slad leaf that they've got a taste for and strip bare

[Beetroot queen]

The one i harvested yesterday had no protection at all, it appeared in my courgette tray so we just threw it in at the end of one of the beds. Not really sure what type it was to be honest but it hardly any damage at all, only a few nips on the underneath outer leaves.

[strider84]

Thanks all for the above advice.