[Aidy]

My fave lettuce is the little gem, next season I have planned a gutter irrigation salad bar, raddish and smaller crops will be grown in this and I would like a good cut and come again lettuce rather than pick them.

Which varieties would you recommend for this?

Cheers

Seed cat in front of me as I type 

[madcat]

For reliable volume I would go for salad bowl - mixed red and green if you can get it, red if not.  You can cut and come again lollo rosso too, which always looks good in a salad bowl.

But given the number of seeds in a packet, a mixed pack of salad leaves makes it much more interesting.  Don't bother with T&M's speedy mix though - I thought it was very disappointing.

[Mr Dog]

I use Charles Dowding's method of harvesting lettuce: pull off leaves from the bottom of the plant as you need them. This tends to make the plants grow tall but they also last for quite a while (this year we harvested leaves for 3 of us almost every day from 8 plants of lobjoits for almost 3 months) and essentially turns them into cut and come again. I've used the method successfully with lobjoits, black seeded simpson, mazur, salad bowl, lollo rosso, tom thumb, winter density, all year round, arctic king and little gem (celtuce works too).

[mumofstig]

I like the crunchy mix of CCA lettuce from SoI http://www.seedsofitaly.com/MISTICANZA_CRUNCHY_LETTUCES_MIX_save_40p/p1834925_8313999.aspx

(They also do a mix of soft ones)

[Aidy]

cheers peeps for the suggestions, given me a few options.

[meterman]

I grow 2 little gem  in large pots next to back door each morning i take off as many leaves as needed by doing this they can last for weeks before going to seed

[viettaclark]

Just putting this on your thread Aidey for newbies.
You can buy small trays of cut-and-come-again lettuce (usually 2/3 varieties) from most supermarkets. I use Lidl. They usually have Romaine/Density/Red Density/Little Gem(?) which are all quite crisp but with good leaf.
If you separate out the plants gently you should end up with 50+ which can be planted out.
Even at this time of year you can grow on with a cloche/fleece to protect. I put mine in big pots (ex tomato) outside the back door so there's a bit of protection there too. Leaves can be picked from the base and let some plants get bigger.
But look out for slugs! Though at that price you can afford to lose a few!!

[snowdrops]

Just putting this on your thread Aidey for newbies.
You can buy small trays of cut-and-come-again lettuce (usually 2/3 varieties) from most supermarkets. I use Lidl. They usually have Romaine/Density/Red Density/Little Gem(?) which are all quite crisp but with good leaf.
If you separate out the plants gently you should end up with 50+ which can be planted out.
Even at this time of year you can grow on with a cloche/fleece to protect. I put mine in big pots (ex tomato) outside the back door so there's a bit of protection there too. Leaves can be picked from the base and let some plants get bigger.
But look out for slugs! Though at that price you can afford to lose a few!!

That's just what I've done today in the greenhouse, planted into the reusable grow bags that hosted the tomatoes in bottomless pots

[viettaclark]

Sorry Aidy.....mis-spelt your name!

[sunshineband]

Just putting this on your thread Aidey for newbies.
You can buy small trays of cut-and-come-again lettuce (usually 2/3 varieties) from most supermarkets. I use Lidl. They usually have Romaine/Density/Red Density/Little Gem(?) which are all quite crisp but with good leaf.
If you separate out the plants gently you should end up with 50+ which can be planted out.
Even at this time of year you can grow on with a cloche/fleece to protect. I put mine in big pots (ex tomato) outside the back door so there's a bit of protection there too. Leaves can be picked from the base and let some plants get bigger.
But look out for slugs! Though at that price you can afford to lose a few!!

That's just what I've done today in the greenhouse, planted into the reusable grow bags that hosted the tomatoes in bottomless pots

I have bought three trays like this over the course of this year and it has been enough for us and plenty to share