Lettuce is easily started in seed-starting trays or small pots. Lettuce started indoors can be set into the garden when plants have about four leaves, usually in three to four weeks from sowing.
Can I grow lettuce in seed trays?
For an even earlier crop, sow indoors in early February in seed trays and plant out in early March under cloches or plastic tunnels.
Can I start my lettuce seeds indoors?
Lettuce is so easy to grow it can be started indoors for early transplants or sown directly in the garden. In fact, doing both is recommended to get maximum production. Start some lettuce seeds indoors in peat pots a few weeks before the last frost date in your area.
What’s the best way to start lettuce seeds?
Lettuce seeds don’t sprout easily when the soil temperature is over 22°C (72°F) in summer. Get around this by sprouting them indoors in a cool area, or pre-sprout by sprinkling seeds on a damp paper towel and placing it in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few days.
What is the fastest way to germinate lettuce seeds?
To germinate lettuce seeds faster, try soaking them for 12-24 hours before planting. Also, keep the soil cool, and give them plenty of light right from the start.
Can you grow salad leaves in a seed tray?
Salad leaves are one of the easiest and trouble-free foods to grow. It’s a great choice if you want to grow something you can use every day but don’t have much, or any, garden space. They can be grown in beds, pots or seed trays, in greenhouses, outside or even on your windowsill.
Does lettuce need darkness to germinate?
Lettuce seeds must be exposed to light to grow into seedlings. You can sprinkle them on soil or vermiculite and then cover them with a thin layer of soil or vermiculite. Carrots: much like lettuce, to get carrot seeds to germinate, expose them to light by sprinkling them on the surface of the soil.
Why won’t my lettuce seeds germinate?
Lettuce is fussy about temperature, that’s for sure. It prefers soil temps somewhere between 40 – 80 degrees, but if it’s too warm, it won’t germinate, and too cold, it won’t sprout, either. I planted my lettuce seeds around the same time as I do every year (March) but this year’s March weather was uncertain.
How Big Should lettuce seedlings be before transplanting?
between 2-3 inches tall
Lettuce should be transplanted when the plants are between 2-3 inches tall. You should harden off your lettuce plants 7-10 days before transplanting. Bring them outdoors for a few hours, increasing the length of time each day. Prepare your bed by loosening the soil and adding compost if available.
When should I start lettuce indoors?
(Garden soil is heavier than potting soil, and will not drain adequately in a pot.) For a jumpstart on the spring garden, start lettuce seeds indoors 3 to 4 weeks before your area’s last hard frost — which is around 28 degrees overnight.
When should I start lettuce?
Sow seeds in the ground 2 to 4 weeks before your last spring frost date or as soon as the ground can be worked. Or, to get a head start, start seeds indoors about 1 month before your last spring frost date. Harden off seedlings for 3 days to a week before setting outdoors.
When should I start lettuce seeds?
Growing a lettuce garden
Lettuce is a cool weather crop and is best grown in spring and fall. The seeds germinate in temperatures as low as 40 F (4 C) but its ideal germination and growing temperature is between 60 and 65 F (16 to 18 C).
At what temperature do lettuce seeds germinate?
70 to 75°F.
Lettuce seed will germinate at 35°F, but optimum germination is 70 to 75°F. If the plants are sufficiently hardened, they will withstand freezing. Repeated exposure to subfreezing temperatures, however, can seriously injure or kill the crop. Lettuce has a relatively high water requirement.
How far apart should lettuce seeds be?
Spacing Requirements
Direct sow seeds 1/8 inch deep, 1 inch apart. Thin plants to 6-8 inches apart for Looseleaf, and up to 12 inches apart for Crisphead.
How long does it take lettuce to sprout from seeds?
7-15 days
Optimal soil temperature for germination: 10-22°C (50-72°F). Seeds should sprout in 7-15 days, depending on conditions. Lettuce seeds don’t sprout easily when the soil temperature is over 22°C (72°F) in summer.
Does lettuce need cold stratification?
Lettuce and asparagus do not really need stratification but benefit from germinating during or after a colder period, and 10ºC is just around fine. But species need a colder shock. Some species even need cycles of alternating cold and mild weather.
What is the best container to grow lettuce in?
Almost all the lettuce varieties grow well in pots. As their shallow roots don’t need deep soil, they do best in wide and shallow containers. The pot must have adequate drainage holes in the bottom and should be at least 6-8 inches deep. You can use any material for pots such as plastic, clay, or terracotta pots.
Does lettuce need deep soil?
Lettuces have fairly short root systems and only require about 6 inches of soil. Choosing a shallower, longer pot will give you more surface area, which means room to grow more plants. Many greens, like spinach and kale, also do well in these shallow, elongated pots.
Can you start lettuce seeds outside?
You can sow lettuce seeds all year round, sow them outside in spring and summer and grow them indoors in winter. As lettuce plants prefer cooler temperatures it’s best to sow seeds outdoors from March to August.
Should you cover seeds when germinating?
Moisten the newly planted seeds with a mister or a small watering can. To speed germination, cover the pots with plastic wrap or a plastic dome that fits over the seed-starting tray. This helps keep the seeds moist before they germinate. When you see the first signs of green, remove the cover.
Are lettuce seeds hard to germinate?
Lettuce needs light and water to germinate. It is supposed to germinate in seven to 10 days. In my experience a generous sprinkling of seeds on top of soil-starting medium might generate two or three weak sprouts after weeks of tender care and gentle spritzing to keep the seeds moist.