What spacing are you using. Often it won't head up if planted too closely - 12 inches minimum. Then there is the temperature problem. Too warm? Could it be starting to bolt? Enough feeding? Enough water? Consistently moist soil? How old is it?

Dave

Concur eith digdirt. I grow Iceberg, but I have to set plants the beginning of March. It will bolt when the temps climb into the nineties. Don't have to irrigate this time of year. I grow the cultivar Iceberg which does not get extra large. It takes 60-70 days from transplanting to heading.
{{gwi:33245}} {{gwi:33246}}

Hey Dave...They are kinda close together (touching) I will thin them. And I have been relying on the rain, which it hasn't rained for a few days, so I will water it good tonight. I planted it in November of last year. This crazy Cali weather...it's supposed to get back down to the mid 60's in the next couple of days with a few clouds. Thanks for the reply :)

Hey farmerdilla..Your lettuce looks great! With this crazy weather, it's almost 78 today and it's suppose to drop back down in the middle 60's in a couple of days. Like I told Dave they are too close together, I will thin them this evening after work. And hope it's not too late. Thanks so much and you too Dave :)

I gave up on trying to get iceberg to "head-up." So, plant Bibb types instead. As long as I keep them in partial shade, they stay awhile. But - as previous posts say - now with temps soaring, it's best to get it eaten soon.

It helps to have a couple of chickens to eat these little gems that are a bit "past due" so they aren't wasted. I still have some growing in the shade of some very large cabbages that are beginning to head-up. So it may be another week or so before they are gone too.

If the cabbages come in soon, we won't miss the lettuce too much - cuz cole slaw isn't bad either. Then comes sauerkraut time.

Bejay

Did anyone notice how I blamed the weather instead of my complete lack of knowledge, hehe I thinned them on Saturday, it made alot of salad :)

ancfan; I think it was noticed by most. But there is the first stone thing. Ha Ha ;-)

Curt~

My experience with head lettuce points to establishing a large frame so to speak for the head to form from. If the plant is small when it starts to head (long before you see it), you will end up with a small head. If the plant becomes stressed before the frame is built it can initiate the head and you'll get a small head. Also, definitely try different varieties over several years as they don't all respond the same. It took me many different carrot varieties over several years to find one that works well for me, was well worth the effort and there were a lot of lousy ones. Don't give up the ship!

Hi,

I have a problem and don't know what is going on. I planted iceberg lettuce about a week ago, or 10 days. I had lots of tiny little sprouts come through and then we had a nasty rain storm. Day after that they were still there but then another day later they were all completely gone. Then one other came out again yesterday. This morning it was gone again.

Anyone have any idea? :(

Thanks.

I followed Dave and farmerdilla's advice and thinned the lettuce and watered well and quess what! I got 6 heads of lettuce :) Thanks! guys this forum rocks :)

are you trying to tell me that if I had thinned them out they wouldn't have disappeared overnight?

It's not like they have gone bad or anything... they weren't even a half inch tall yet, they had just come out of the ground. And then - gone, completely vanished, just like that...

Yummy. Someone ate them.

The quail will eat all of my lettuce sprouts if I don't cover them.

hm, my husband said we don't have quails around here... what else likes to eat tiny little sprouts?