Learn how to grow lettuce from seed, increase germination rates, extend the growing season and choose the right lettuce variety for you.
How to Grow Lettuce from Seed
When it comes to lettuce, many people think of the standard iceberg lettuce found in supermarket and restaurant salads. But that’s changing rapidly with the popularity of different types of lettuce, mostly due to the flavor and color they provide.When you grow lettuce from seeds at home, you can choose from a full range of seed This is available.
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At farmers markets, health food co-ops, and organic food stores, lettuce of all varieties is popping up. Their colors range from deep red to mottled green to almost white. Their flavors range from overtly sweet to full-bodied to slightly bitter.
(Interesting side note: iceberg lettuce, originally bred as a hybrid, is now available open pollinated varieties And has been around long enough to be considered a “family heirloom” by some! )
eat with the season
We look forward to lettuce all year round. The supermarket tells us what vegetables should look like, how they should taste, and when they should be available. For most of them, we expect them to be available year-round.
Many people are surprised to learn that lettuce is a cool-season crop. It will easily sprout or sown in the late spring and early summer months.
Infographic: “Save Our Seeds”
Where I live, it’s best to plant lettuce in early spring and then again in late summer or early fall when temperatures start to cool.
Better Lettuce Seed Germination
Lettuce seeds will not germinate when the soil temperature is above 80°F. But they will start to sprout in temperatures as low as 40°F, making them ideal for early and late season plantings.
When the temperature is too high, a phytohormone is produced that stops the germination process.This is called thermal inhibition.
This trait is a holdover from wild lettuce native to the Mediterranean Middle East, where summers are hot and there is little moisture. If lettuce seeds germinate under these conditions, they will soon become extinct, and so will the species.
Choose heat-resistant lettuce
Due to traditional plant breeding, several varieties lettuce Thermal properties have been selected. Some of these are open-pollinated, which means you can save the seeds each year.
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Some examples are St Anne’s slow bolts, summer, Black Seed Simpsonsand Jericho. However, just because they’re heat-tolerant doesn’t mean they’ll grow all summer long. It just means they won’t go crazy or bitter anytime soon.
Growing Lettuce From Seeds: Tips and Tricks
Image Source Conger Design from focus on
Due to ongoing research on lettuce traits, there are some Techniques Home Gardeners Can Use to Extend the Germination Season Lettuce seeds go into the warmer months.
The optimal soil temperature for most lettuce seeds is 68°F, some varieties germinate in the 40–75°F range.temperature soil Must take – it’s not just the air temperature, it can vary by a few degrees.
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smoking or Soak seeds in cold water for 16-24 hours in a well-lit place The germination rate will be greatly improved before planting.
red light It has been found to be the best color to promote germination, but if you can’t use non-heated red light, sunlight or full spectrum light is almost as good.
Soaking seeds in the dark can actually reduce their germination rate in warm conditions. Soaking for less than 16 hours had little positive effect on germination rate.
Extend the lettuce season
A successful way to extend the garden lettuce season involves spreading a thick layer of straw or sawdust on the ground, at least 1-1/2 to 2 inches deep. This keeps the soil from getting too hot and helps retain moisture in the soil.
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Lightly shading lettuce plants can provide enough temperature drop to keep them from bolting, and can sometimes buy you 3-5 weeks. Shade can come from shade cloth or row covers over low tunnels, or through companion planting of tall broadleaf plants, such as some types of squash.
The traditional “early plant, often” rule of thumb can be adjusted for lettuce to “late, often.” When temperatures start to drop, prepare to start more lettuce seeds for a second harvest in the fall.
What do you think?
What are your favorite lettuce growing tips and what are your favorite varieties? Let us know in the comments below!
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This is an updated version of an article originally published on May 22, 2014. Authors may not be able to respond to comments at this time, but we encourage our community members to join, share their experiences and answer questions!
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Marjory Wildcraft is the founder of The Grow Network, a community of people focused on modern self-sufficiency. She has been named an expert on off-grid living by National Geographic, she hosts the Mother Earth News Online Homes Summit, and is listed on Who’s Who in America for inspiring hundreds of thousands of backyard gardens. Marjory is the focus of a Reuters Food Sustainability Media Award winning article, she recently wrote Growing Systems: The Essential Guide to Modern Self-Sufficient Living – From Growing Food to Making Medicines.
