Try this.
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I use black binder clips to hold the shade fabric on. About $7 for 150 ft.

Do you transplant directly under that Minnie?

We are still picking from our 3rd and 4th plantings. I have a 5th one that is about ready and I was going to have a 6th one to transplant, but some hungry caterpillars ate them all down and I just threw them out. Sales haven't been all that great for the lettuce. We are selling about half of what we take on Wednesday we took 42 heads and sold 22. I picked so many because they are ready. We kept most of them in the cooler so we will sell those remaining 20 on Saturday and I will pick another 30 to go to our other market on Saturday.

I am seeding more in the house soon for this fall. Once I run out of lettuce, probably another 3 to 4 weeks, we will be out for a few weeks. Maybe this will catch peoples attention and be more eager for it this fall. We have been selling these heads since the end of April.

I will try your shade cloth idea with our fall plantings along with the sprinklers.

Jay

The shade and mist is working well. I have black seeded Simpson that we put in the beginning of April that is just starting to get bitter. We have been taking the oldest leaves as we go. Some are only 5-6 inches tall. A few around the edge will bolt every week. Oak leaf is holding out. I stared a hydroponic system this week and am going to try some of the Sumer crisp in it. I plan to cool the hydro water and mist the tops. See if we can't solve this growing lettuce in summer issue!

After 2 days trying to make photo bucket work on my iPad, hopefully attached is a pic of my shade house.

It isin't finished in this pic. Still had to pull the cloth down and secure the bows.

Yes I transplant the lettuce into the white plastic and then put on the shade cloth. I have done several plantings. 2 main beds of lettuce. I have two trays of seedlings ready and no where to put them because the peas are still going now. Still, lots of succession planting to be done soon with garlic and peas almost over. The second pic above is the shade fabric over my summer greens mix. The left bed is the freshly seeded baby greens.
Summer greens, right bed:
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These are still doing well. The chard is catching up and the mizuna and kale and komatsuna really fill up a basket. We have been enjoying eating these so I assume the CSAs do too.

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1/2 bushel baby greens with kale on top and full bushel mixed lettuce direct seeded. These two beds of mixed lettuce will be picked out tomorrow and then corn plants go in Tuesday so we can have corn in mid Sept.
Most of these direct seeded lettuces are Pinetree's Summer Mix, reasonably priced and do well. I threw in some extra seeds into it. Been going through heat without shade cover! Black Seeded Simpson was the first to bolt this year. Buttercrunch did very well.

Looks good!

That does look good, Minnie - you making me hanker for a big, fresh salad. Love the presentation in the baskets. Your CSA people are sure lucky.

Tom

Thanks! That isn't for presentation though. That is how I pick. Then wash, spin and bag and put in coolers- one cooler for each person. I use a half gallon jug of ice and old towel in each cooler. then they can pick up within 24 hours and the stuff is still fresh.

That's how we are doing ours too!