Whether sowing seeds indoors or out, using a nutrient-rich, loose soil and choose a container/space with good drainage. Lightly sprinkle 4-5 lettuce seeds in each spot. Lettuces are a heavier feeder as they grow … The last two years my all year round lettuce seeds have failed to grow, i start in my green house and use a good compost which i buy from the local garden center. Walk away, and count the days to planting time. It’s really simple regrowing lettuce indoors using only a small bowl of water and a lettuce stem. Keep them near a sunny window, or add a grow light. Absolutely love it. To grow lettuce, you’ll need: containers OR. Otherwise, if they’re more than two years old, plant 2-3 per hole, then thin them out later. But if your soil is covered with snow, you should delay sowing seeds or planting seedlings. Takeout the seeds from packaging; Place a single seed in each hole that we’ve previously made in the rockwool. Good luck, I hope everything will grow well for you! *If you put your seeds closer than 4 inches they will burn and die. However, best germination occurs at 55 to 65 degrees, so in regions with long, cool summers, planting can be delayed somewhat. Rich. Please read below for instructions on how to grow lettuce from seed both indoors and outdoors. Selecting Seeds Before you go to the effort of saving your lettuce seeds, first, make sure to save seeds only … These are the easiest types when trying to learn how to grow lettuce from seed. Some of my favorites are mesclun leaf mix, French Red Leaf, and Butterhead. When they first sprout, lettuce seedlings are very small, and have two rounded and slightly oblong shaped leaves. I prefer to just leave them sitting on top , and let them to work their way in when I water. While this type of lettuce is much less heat tolerant than other lettuce, it does store and transport much better. With that being said, they can even grow in weather as low as 40 degrees! On average, it only takes about 40-50 days for them to reach full maturity. Also, be sure they have enough light, they need lots of bright light. Step 3: Plant the seeds – The best way to plant lettuce seeds is to sprinkle them over the top of the loose garden soil or indoor trays. I like to plant several different types so I have a good mix for my salads. Lettuce grows best in loose, cool soil with good drainage. If the soil is too warm, dry, or wet, or if there’s no light, it will inhibit germination. All content found on this website is copyrighted materials and any form of reproduction is strictly prohibited. 🙂. Yes, lettuce definitely doesn’t like dry soil. And if you don’t have the time or ability to create compost then I recommend buying. Other popular options are romaine, bibb, or iceberg. Here is what to do to ensure success after they sprout. If it’s too hot, they won’t germinate. Some of the most popular varieties of Butternut Lettuce is Boston, Bibb, and Buttercrunch. Otherwise, if you just need a little refresher, then you should download my Starting Seeds Indoors eBook for the perfect quick start guide. If you wash your lettuce and place it in a zip-lock bag your lettuce can last 2-3 days. On the first day, you will want to place your Lettuce (still in its pot) outside in direct sunlight for approximately 2 hours. But don’t let that stop you – it’s such a cool experiment. a miniature hydroponics system or aquaponics system. Seed is viable for 5 years. They need light to germinate, so take care that you do not plant them more than 1/4″ deep. Once you get good at it, you’ll never go back to buying starts again. Over time, seeds saved from your garden adapt to their particular growing conditions making your seeds specifically suitable to your garden, assuring a fruitful harvest. When growing lettuce for seed, mature plants should be thinned to 12-16 inches in rows 18-30 inches apart. How To Collect Lettuce Seeds From Your Garden, How To Grow Spinach From Seed: Step-By-Step, How To Grow Peppers From Seed: Complete Guide, How To Prepare Containers For Winter Sowing, Terms Of Use, Disclaimer & Privacy Policy, Seed starting soil or peat pellets (optional). Although, if you live in USDA Zones 10-11 or in any other subtropical or tropical part of the world, you should try to grow lettuce in winter.. You can easily cultivate the lettuce from seeds … If you want to learn more about growing Lettuce in containers, I recommend watching the below video: Lettuce is one of the easiest vegetables to grow outside, no matter where you live. Growing Guide GROWING NOTES. You can start harvesting leafy varieties much sooner than that, since they don’t need to reach full maturity first. Once your lettuce seedlings have germinated, they still need extra care. This is a fantastic article on something that surprisingly not a lot of folks know! This is the temperature needed so that your seeds can turn into plants. Kids eat what they grow, so keep on gardening with them. We eat salad almost everyday in the summer so its going to be nice to not run to the store for it. Just keep growing lettuce by sowing a little at a time. Lettuce grows best in full sun, though excessive heat can cause plants to bolt to seed, or leaves to wilt. You can do this by taking scissors and snipping the smaller of the plants right at the soil line. We put some pots in a water bath so the soil could suck up the water. Container growing lettuce is a common practice for small space gardeners such as apartment dwellers. Do THIS if you will be keeping your Lettuce in its container all summer! Normally i have had no trouble in the past with growing these seeds, What could i doing wrong. Do this by lightly working compost and a little bit of pelletised manure based fertiliser through the soil, followed by mulch, to a depth of about 5-7cm. How to Grow Romaine Lettuce 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. Thanks! Would love to try planting some lettuce this spring! Plus, I have to small girls ages 3 and 5 and for whatever reason (I know this is insane) but if we “Grow” something as a family they will eat it. My garden has southern exposure. Growing Lettuce From Seed Direct seeding is the easiest way to grow lettuce. Cover with a very thin layer of compost or vermiculite. I wonder if I should try to create some shade somehow for the lettuce! Either spread the seed very thinly along a row and cover lightly with soil, or sprinkle it over a bed and rake it in. You will do this until the seeds germinate and then continue doing this until they become at least 3 inches tall. Immediately after you do this, spray the soil about 5 to 10 times. Next, you can transplant your lettuce plant to a 5 Gallon Nursery Pot. Otherwise, you may have planted them too deep, or the soil is too warm, too wet, or too dry. Instead, sprinkle 4-5 seeds per pot about 1/8 inch deep and then gently brush the soil over the seeds. Oh, and don’t be afraid to test your pH… 6.5 is just fine! Otherwise, use 2-3 per hole if they are old, and then thin the seedlings later as necessary. Hybrid seeds were made from combining the genes of the same group of plants. While the plant grows smaller than other types of lettuce, it has a tender but delicious flavor. It is far better to sow the seeds onto fine soil in a seedling tray or a pot, … My husband tasted fresh garden lettuce for the first time last year and then during the winter he wouldn’t eat the store bought stuff because he said it had no taste! Would you like to learn how to finally be successful with growing your own seeds? potting mix (if growing in containers) a cool location. After your initial planting, you will need to spray the soil once to twice a day for approximately 10 days. 🙂, Yes, me too! This will make the sowing process much easier and faster. *If the weather is hotter than usual for your garden then you may need to water several more times a day then described above. Lettuce is traditionally planted by seed outdoors as soon as soil reached 40 degrees Fahrenheit, in order to ensure that it matures before the weather becomes too warm. Lettuce seed is very fine and not easy to spread evenly, therefore both methods will … If the seedlings are dying after you soaked the soil, then they may have been overwatered. I recommend using Heirloom or Hybrid seeds. Required fields are marked *. I need to try that sometime. Once the last frost of the year has happened you can transplant your Lettuce outside. Lettuce From a Flower Pot. Remember, it’s sunlight that turns a plant’s leaves green as it begins to photosynthesize. If growing from seed, plant no more than 10 seeds per foot of growing space. If you started your lettuce seeds indoors, then there are a few steps you must take in order for them to survive being transplanted into the garden. This will allow the healthier lettuce plant to grow to its full potential. Press down lightly to establish good soil-to-seed contact. Planting lettuce seeds is fairly straightforward. Not only this, but it tends to do better in cooler temperatures and may even get bitter if the weather turns too hot. Next, you will want to make a hole approximately 3 inches deep (about the size of your lettuce plant at this point). Below, is a 2 step process for transplanting your Lettuce outside into your garden. However, once the seedlings were growing we noticed that the soil was dry from about 2cm down. If you put them further away than 4 inches there is a chance they won’t get enough sun to germinate.*. High soil temperatures in summer can prevent some cultivars from germinating. Lettuce needs a well-drained soil with loads of organic matter (like crumbly compost), a bit of a seaweed feed and some lovely mulch. This can be a difficult question to answer for beginner gardeners because of complex factors like weather, soil, and pests. Anything to get my kids to eat healthy. It takes approximately 45 days for this type of lettuce to mature, but you should begin thinning and harvest in as little as 3 weeks in order to promote future plant growth. Space the sowings according to packet directions that are based on the size of the mature lettuce. You can also subscribe without commenting. I really like lettuce because it’s quick and easy to grow like you said and works well in pots. When it has new starts on it plant it. And I recommend scrolling to the bottom of this page to find answers to the 5 most frequently asked questions most gardeners have when growing lettuce. This period is crucial to get the greens up to a specific height before you take the dome off and expose them to light. The soil may be too warm or too wet. As you can tell from the above picture, Romaine lettuce tends to grow straight up from the ground and is one of the most popular types of lettuce used in restaurants. Once your seeds have germinated and sprouted through the soil, you will want to continue to spray them twice a day for 4 more months until they are ready to transplant outside. The best way to try to speed up lettuce germination is to soak the seeds for 12-24 hours before planting them. In general, it takes somewhere between 4-10 days for lettuce seeds to germinate. Wow! 🙂. I personally find it easiest to direct sow them, since they grow so fast, and the small seedlings can be difficult to transplant. lettuce seeds. Seed germinates in 2 to 10 days at or near 70°F (21°C)—but sometimes seed can take up to 2 weeks to germinate if the soil is cold. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Thanks for sharing! Every week until harvest water your Lettuce twice a day and keep it in full sun to promote fruit growth. Dear Amy. I’ve grown lettuce in all sorts of containers. Prepare seed trays. Immediately after you transplant your lettuce outside add. If you want an earlier crop, … It can allow an early start because the pots are brought indoors during light freezes and left outdoors during early spring days. The best type of fertilizer for lettuce is compost. Otherwise, before direct sowing them, loosen up the top inch of soil in your garden using your trowel, and remove any weeds or large rocks and sticks. These seeds contain all the lettuce original traits and produce some of the most beautiful and best-tasting lettuce out there. Once days become cooler, the shade can be removed to give plenty of sunlight to young lettuce plants. As the seeds germinate, you may have to thin them out. You can tuck them into raised beds next to or under other vegetables that are fast growing and can provide shade as the sun gets hotter (like beans, squash and cucumbers). Then as those warm weather plants start to take over, your lettuce will be done anyway. Regrown lettuce will bolt (send out a seed stalk) before it grows a full head of lettuce. Otherwise, the transplant shock could be fatal. Again, you will want to fill these pots about 80% full with your potting mix. Start lettuce indoors 4 weeks before transplanting; sow or transplant lettuce into the garden as soon as the soil can be worked. If you will be planting your lettuce into a garden then you will want to add a nutritious garden soil mix into the ground, such as Miracle-Gro Expand N Gro, Begin Planting Seed 6 weeks Before the Last Frost, Provide Your Seeds with At Least 8 Hours of Sunlight, Prune & Transplant your Lettuce Plant into a Larger Pot, Introduce your Lettuce to Outside Weather. Effectively Care for your Lettuce THIS Way! Pick your lettuce from the outside to the inside. I first grew lettuce as part of a school project when I was younger, then last year I decided to do it again and I can tell you something, I have NEVER tasted anything like it! What Type of Fertilizer Should I Use for My Lettuce? Keep holes approximately 2 feet apart to allow for the most lettuce grow. Sowing lettuce seeds takes a little bit of planning. There are tons of varieties of lettuce seeds you can grow. What Type of Soil Should I Use for My Lettuce Plants? Yes, you can absolutely grow lettuce in pots. Lettuce can be grown in dense plantings to “cut and come again”, or be grown for their heads, in which case they are grown to maturity and harvested once. Lettuce seeds can be sown directly where you want them to grow, but the problem with this is that it leaves the emerging seedlings vulnerable to the hoards of pests that just love to eat them. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees through links to Amazon.com. If your lettuce seeds don’t germinate, they are most likely old. I eat salads every day in the summer too. To make it easier, you can use the stick that we used before and carefuly with the stick push the seed inside the hole. Yes, I totally agree! protect from slugs and snails. Isn’t lettuce a great plant! I also tried taking the bottom you cut off and throw away, putting that in water. The idea is to leave 12 inches between each plant as well if growing a large head variety of lettuce. I have not yet grown anything. Lettuce can handle a frost, so don’t wait until after the last frost date to plant. But you might still have some questions. Love this!! When lettuce seeds won’t grow, it can be caused by a few different things… They may be too old, and no longer viable. Thin seedlings out when they’re big enough to handle and keep the compost moist. I miss my garden fresh lettuce through the winter, and crave it! Then put them in a bright location during germination, or hang a plant light right above the trays. For a spring crop: sow a cultivar such as 'Winter Density' in September/October either in a cold greenhouse or outside under cloches in mild areas. I have noticed that when I cut the leaves and throw the roots on the compost, the plants will start growing more leaves. Then spray the soil again 5 to 8 times until it turns a dark color. In this video, I show you how to grow lettuce from seed indoors, and harvest it in just one month! Those are called the “seed leaves”. Another great thing about growing your own lettuce from seed is you get to try some really neat varieties that you won’t find anywhere else. Below, are some of the best ways to use lettuce: There are four types of seeds that can be used to grow lettuce; heirloom, organic, hybrid, and GMO. The reason this type of lettuce is called looseleaf is because it doesn’t form a head and has numerou varieties. For example, a crisphead may require a square foot of garden space. Love it! It's easy to plant lettuce seeds indoors or outside. Your email address will not be published. It’s the only way I’ve tried that works for getting fresh lettuce (and herbs) during our winters here in Minnesota. Step 1: Prepare the potting mix or pellets – If you plan to start your lettuce seeds indoors, pre-moisten the potting mix or peat pellets first. I am like your husband and hate getting lettuce from the store during the winter!! One other thing that can cause them to die off is seedling blight, which happens when you don’t properly clean your trays. But in the fall temperatures are cooling making it the perfect time for lettuce growing. Gently bring the spoon handle to the holes in the cubes to drop the seeds. After 2 days, most of your seeds should have germinated. Using that end, dip it in the seeds to easily pick one or two. We are trying to grow lettuce in the kitchen window in pots. Moisten the medium in preparation for sowing the seeds. Also, I would try using a seed starting mix, rather than one that contains compost, as it may be too heavy or hold too much water. The goal with hybrids is to produce a plant that contains the best features of both parent plants. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Here are answers to the ones I see the most. While there are hundreds of varieties of lettuce you can grow, I am recommending 4 kinds to choose from. If your lettuce seeds are new, then plant one per hole. Lettuce seeds are small and light so put them in a white plastic spoon. Sow seed on moist, well-prepared soil or compost in spring. Lettuce seeds will germinate best at temperatures between 50-65 degrees Fahrenheit. I do herbs this way too. Then you should take my online Seed Starting Course! Also, it’s very important to transplant them at the right time. Do THIS to Transplant your Lettuce into your Garden! In addition, expect the least amount of yield from this type of seed due to susception of disease and other elements. So, I am very happy that I came across your website, so that I can get more helpful hints. Always pick your lettuce where it meets the stalk. Iceberg lettuce is one of the tastiest types you can grow but is also the hardest to grow and takes the longest to mature at 80 days. If we buy it from the store, it’s a different ball game. Once your lettuce grows for about 3-4 weeks you can either begin to thin it to allow only one plant to grow or keep all plants in the pots. Step 5: Cover the seed flats (optional) – If you started your lettuce seeds indoors, cover the trays with a plastic dome lid, and place them in a bright location where the temperature stays between 65-75F degrees. In this post, I will show you exactly when and how to plant lettuce seeds for the best results. Below I will walk you through the steps for how to plant lettuce seeds. To thin the lettuce, I will pull up plants that are too close together. If you decide to keep your Lettuce in the pots then there is no need to transplant. Growing lettuce seeds is so much cheaper and far easier than you might think. You will also want to keep the room temperature between 50-65 degrees Fahrenheit. If it’s too late for that this year, then yes, I would put them in a shadier spot. So plant them into the garden as soon as the soil is workable in very early spring, or after your last heatwave in early fall. You will then place it in your 5-gallon pot and fill it with soil. Place the pot in a sunny location and water them whnever the leaves begin to wilt. They are still in the starter phrase, and I must say so far so good. Have planted them too deep the start French Red leaf, and Buttercrunch 4 inches they will grow... Window or a Sprinkle two to three lettuce seeds in the summer too I have never to. 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