Lettuce in Container

Sowed 'Icerberg 2' lettuce seeds thinly in a margarine tub, as per Basil, then covered with 3cm (half an inch) of fine soil.

I am going to grow outside in a container, but because of slugs, and because I want to demonstrate that lettuce can be grown in a pot, I am leaving on window sill at about 15 deg C (59 deg F).

Might be a problem here. Lettuce can fail to germinate at high temperatures. And I am not sure whether or not it requires changing night and day temperatures, as many seeds do.

Instructions say to plant outside, and with this, combined with fact I am still using up old compost (the stuff that failed with the basil), we could have problems. I really am a glutton for punishment.

I am using old compost in container outside. When seedlings are big enough (assuming they germinate!), will plant them out here (around spring onions in centre). Have gone through compost looking for slug eggs and any other predator, but found nothing.

Put some of the new organinc slug pellets (based on ferric phosphate) on floor around base of container to kill slugs harbouring underneath it (the smell attracts them out when it is dark).

Container also has a good wide lip which should be more difficult for slugs to cross.


I am trying out this new copper tape around container. Supposed to be very good. It gives slugs an electrostatic shock if they try to cross it.

Been careful not to put container too close to anything that slugs can use as a bridge.

Only used a few seeds for now. Packet contains about 1250 seeds and it cost 50 pence. So should get a bit of value here.