From trays or modules harden off and plant out under fleece. Lettuce grows best when it’s cool, but the leaves quickly dissolve when exposed to freezing temperatures. Remedy: Unless growing for seed sow bolt-resistant varieties. Use a moist stick to pick up individual seeds if needed. Seed Info In optimal growing conditions at least 70% of seeds will germinate. How to Plant Into Trays. Either way works. Growing tips. Harvest lettuces by cutting rather than pulling. Lettuce seeds love good moisture levels in the soil, but damp soil can kill your seeds. With a large variety of types and therefore flavours, lettuce isn’t just reduced to your Cos or iceberg! Open-pollinated varieties are more genetically diverse, allowing them to better adapt to specific growing conditions. When planting, make sure each seed is planted 1/2 inch deep in the soil. You can also use small garden pots. How To Grow Lettuce Indoors. You can sprinkle your seeds in organized rows or you can sprinkle them all over the bed. It doesn't even matter if the soil were to freeze. Cover with a very thin layer of compost or vermiculite. Add fresh compost into the trays and water well. Sow or plant at the correct time and keep the soil or compost moist. This way I have more control over how the lettuce grows. Either way, lettuces don’t take long to reach maturity, which makes them an excellent choice for growing in … Trim Down. Lettuce does not like long, hot, sunny & humid days. It is best to plant head lettuce in the fall as, by avoiding the warmer weather, you can produce sweeter lettuce. protect from slugs and snails. Sow seed on moist, well-prepared soil or compost in spring. If you’d like to grow your lettuce inside your home, check out these tips for growing lettuce indoors. Start lettuce indoors 4 weeks before transplanting; sow or transplant lettuce into the garden as soon as the soil can be worked. Planting Schedule. Diseases & Pests Crop rotation is also important for disease prevention. Per 100′ row: 240 seeds head lettuce/1.2M seeds leaf type, per acre: 58M seeds head lettuce/348M leaf type. In this case, the distance from the line to line should be 12 inches and the distance from seedling to seedling should be 8 inches. Thin seedlings out when they’re big enough to handle and keep the compost moist. The seeds will survive! I prefer to plant them in seeding trays and then transplanting them into the containers. You can start your lettuce seeds in store-bought seed trays or make your own out of an old egg carton, box or newspaper. Lettuce is one of the easiest crops to grow and growing lettuce from seed is so economical. Plant indoor lettuce seeds 4-6 weeks before your last frost. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) can be grown in nearly all climate zones, but as a cool-season vegetable it does best when growing in the spring and fall—or even winter in southern climates.During hot weather, the plants bolt (send up flower shoots to produce seeds), and at … Let us all learn how to grow lettuce! Available as seedlings, but also germinates readily from seed. Moisten the medium in preparation for sowing the seeds. All you need to do is cut the leaves an inch from the bottom and keep the remaining stem. surefire tips, growing lettuce from seed is easy and fun. How to start romaine lettuce from seed: You can either plant your romaine lettuce seeds directly in the soil or start them indoors about 4 weeks before the last frost of the season. Growing lettuce is easy. For those of you that prefer more traditional types of lettuce like iceberg or romaine, then you’ll still probably want to grow lettuce from seeds just because of the price factor. The most popular varieties of head lettuce include Iceberg, Ithaca, Great Lakes, and Crispivo. Harvesting. Lettuce is grown from seeds or transplants. Lettuce is a must-have for the vegetable garden. To Grow Lettuce from seed There are two ways to do this. Lettuce seeds are teeny tiny, and it is easiest to spread them over an area and then thin them out once they sprout—plant in full sun when the temperature is cooler. Lettuce-growing seasons are a bit tricky. These are the easiest foods to grow at home. Before planting the seedlings, ensure the soil is well prepared to meet lettuce’s demands, as discussed earlier in this article. Varieties. Open-pollinated and heirloom plants both grow true to seed for years to come. Lettuce grows best in loose, cool soil with good drainage. Lettuce has long been a staple salad ingredient throughout Australia and is very easy to grow from seed. Usual seed life: 3 years. Transplanting: Seedlings started indoors can be planted outside after danger of severe frost has passed. Seeds can be sown directly in these lands. For fans of the textured and colorful lettuce, you’ll most definitely want to grow your lettuce from seeds so that you have plenty of options. Planting Seed. How long it took you to grow the lettuce from seed to harvest under your conditions. Lettuce- How to grow from seed. Again, seedlings of suitable age (one-month-old) have to be sown in the seedbed and then planted in the mainland. Fill the trays with compost, water it lightly and then place the seeds on top. Cover with 1/8 inch light soil. How to Grow Lettuce Using Hydroponics. If the seeds are new, one seed in each hole is enough, but if seeds are old, 2 to 3 seeds can do the trick. You should also know that lettuce is one of the first vegetables that germinate in spring. The land should be well prepared for cultivation. Pick from varieties such as the Iceberg, Cos Lettuce or even Red and Green varieties, there are plenty to choose from to suit your needs. More info on Bolting . Planting Lettuce Seeds. Grab a head of romaine or other lettuce, and cut it crosswise about 1-2 in. Check out this video to learn how to plant lettuce. Depth and Spacing. Keep the seeds moist while they germinate and start to grow. Lettuce seeds can be sown straight into the garden (or pots) or you can start them off in trays or punnets first. The seeds can be planted in trays filled with compost, two to three seeds in each cell is enough. I have been growing lettuce from seed in my raised beds and containers for years; you can even plant it amongst your flower beds for added visual interest as well. The seeds can be spread over sections or in rows. This means that growing lettuce can be done in early spring when temperatures are between 45 and 65 F. (7-18 C.). Lettuce is ready to cut when a firm heart has formed, or the for loose-leaf varieties when leaves are big enough to be worth eating. It adds bulk and texture to salads and salad sandwiches, and there are many types to choose from to suit your needs. Lettuce Seeds Germination How to Grow Lettuce from seed. The lettuce seeds actually do just fine in cold soil. However, growing in the garden makes seeds more vulnerable, so Damien suggests putting 2-4 seeds in each hole, to increase your rate of success. There are amazing varieties that are red, green, speckled or frilly, just the thing to make a spectacular salad to impress your friends and family. When it’s too hot, lettuce bolts (goes to seed), becomes bitter, or dries up and dies. Now sow the seeds of lettuce in each hole of the seed tray. A packet of lettuce seeds is generally less than $2.30 and contains hundreds of seeds. Lettuce Seeds. Once days become cooler, the shade can be removed to give plenty of sunlight to young lettuce plants. How to grow lettuce. When to grow lettuce: Start early indoors or seed directly outdoors from late March to August. If you’re more of a soil fan than hydroponics, then growing them old school fits you. What You’ll Need: Garden spade or shovel; Garden soil, compost, or worm castings; Lettuce seed; Garden hose; Lettuce seeds are small, it is far easier to sprinkle the seeds rather than plant one at a time. You can plant lettuce seeds directly into your containers or pots or put them into seed trays. How to Regrow Lettuce 1. For an early start, seeds can be started in flats 4 weeks prior to the last frost and transplanted outdoors in mid to late spring. You can start some lettuce in seed trays or plant in a container that is tucked away from the cold weather to ensure they germinate. 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