Thanks Clodagh & Dick for very useful suggestions.  Will get that Terracotem and let everyone know how it goes! Yes.. we have found the lettuce (and other things) going to seed no sooner than they have started to poke their heads up!
We have found a shaded - and another - semi-shaded part of the plot and will try nuturing the lettuce there. 
Will post again when we have moved onto the next stage/read the book!

C&D;- apart from the Terracotem - would you ever recommend a lining of say plastic/other non-permeable layer in the bottom of our seeding bed to keep the moisture in?  We are aiming to translpant the seedlings once we feel they are established enough to cope with the regular plots/ground…

All the best,
Susan

great keep them going until october or even november...give a sulphur dust weekly if you start to get any leaf or fruit problems.

Dear Susan, Great progress. Yes a non permeable layer would be a good idea so that your seed bed in the ground is similar to srting from seed in a large window box or seed tray.

Thanks Greenfingers team… will tell ‘the boss’ of all of above - and report back when we have had some success!
(I see that the red lettuce are doing OK - which is surprizing - as they are very delicate and I thought would not have liked the dry ground and direct sun… but plants are here to keep us on our toes!).

Interestingly our crinkly leaved red lettuces survive much longer during the summer than green leaved varieties....and since they look great and taste good we plant at least as many red as green.

When lettuces go to seed they are still good food for the chickens,budgies and tortoise!!!! Likewise left overs after eating, drying, jamimg and bottling tomatoes ...25 varieties at present...their great for the tortoise ..she eats gastronomically and we know the leaves don’t have residualchemicals on them!!

By the way consider starting to dry...see http://www.conasi.biz and obtain info in english from .

Thanks again for chat Greenfingers..
I am just about getting the hang of ‘Sun Dried’ Toms… (althogh still need to refine a little bit - as some get overcooked!)..
I checked out your drier machine via your website when I looked it up a while back. Looks a great bit of kit.  Have it on the
Christmas wish list!
Our glut of mangoes from last winter have only just disappeared from the freezer - and we still have the odd jar of ‘Mijas Mermelada’ on the shelf! (We mixed the manoges with the bitter oranges the owner did not want off the trees).
We just love living in the campo and enjoying being semi-self sufficient!
(We drew the line at chickens - as neither of us wants to kill them when they get too old to lay)..
The landlady’s family have just installed a black pig… who will be there no longer in a few weeks. ..
!Viva la vida del Campo!
sj

ps - any tips on preserving fresh garlic (other than drying) - we have taken them out early - as we need the space for something else/they were too slow growing.. So I have quite a few heads lying around - but only tiny - and I would prefer to do a purge in one sitting to peel all.  Some people say put them in vinegar - not olive oil (as latter encourages botulism?).

Yes you can pickle in vinegar or in a brine flavoured with thyme---you will find jars of these in supermarkets. Most of the taste has gone so a good tapas item.