Having Trouble Starting Lettuce fromSeeds

[citychickinthecountry]

I have tried a few methods (sowing seeds directly in the ground, starting seeds in moist paper towel then planting in the garden, starting seeds in Miracle Grow Soil) and nothing seems to work. Am I missing a step for starting Romaine and Buttercrunch lettuce from seeds?

 

[patandchickens]

IME lettuce starts best in actual seed starter medium, i.e. NOT miracle-gro mix that has fertilizer premixed into it. I've never tried presprouting it so can't comment on that. I find it not that easy to direct-sow but then I basically suck at direct-sowing anything smaller than beans so that probably doesn't mean much.

Truthfully I've never had any problem with lettuce... BUT, my mother, who is 85 and has been starting lettuce from seed pretty much all her life, has suddenly in the past few years developed an inability to get it to germinate at all for her. (Frankly this worries me a little, but, what can you do). So it appears there IS some way of messing up with lettuce; I just can't tell you what it necessarily is Compacting the starter medium too much? Covering the seeds too deeply?

All I can really suggest is trying actual seed-starter medium and being very careful about not overly burying the seeds (just sift a very thin layer of medium 'mostly' over them as they lie on the top of the medium), then cover and keep evenly-lightly moist.

And if you figure out what your problem is, I'd like to know so I can pass it along to Mom, who is very annoyed by her loss of lettuce-starting skills!

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[lesa]

I have found lettuce to be unpredictable at best. I still have lettuce popping up in the grass around the first bed I ever planted lettuce in, 4 years ago! Last year I had some success with direct seeding. This year, I wanted to try and grow lettuce early in the greenhouse. I planted in a soil less medium, and kept it moist. I now have 2 teeny tiny sprouts peeking up. I thought I would be eating salad by now! All in all I have not found lettuce to be that easy to grow... Don't give up! Happy Gardening!

 

[wsmoak]

I've had decent results starting lettuce in flats of plain old potting soil, under lights. It requires *religious* attention to the moisture level, don't ever let it dry out. This is tricky when you're using a fan to keep the temps down!

The first time I just let it grow in the flat, fascinated that it grew at all. http://www.flickr.com/photos/10803470@N00/5468538794/

The second time I started fewer seeds, and when they got big enough, I scooped them out with a large spoon and transplanted into 4" squares.

I tried sprouting seeds in coffee filters and it worked the first time, then the next two times I was busier and let it get dry, so that was the end of that!

For my next attempt I'll use deeper square containers, I think it might be happier (more growth) if it has more room to grow roots.

I'm about ready to turn off the lights so I stuck the last seedlings outside, where they promptly melted in the heat. I had intended to give them a floating row cover, but, oh well. I think I'm done growing lettuce for a while, I'll try again in the winter.

-Wendy

 

[4grandbabies]

The way I start lettuce, is to prepare a bed ,dampen the bed, sprinkle with the lettuce seed, press into the soil lightly with the flat side of my hoe, and sprinkle compost or rotted manure over the seed. Keep damp while germinating(a trick in its self-since even a splash can wash the seed up) It they dry out after sprouting, they are gone! Could yours have dried out before getting popped thru?

 

[Rozzie]

I must be lucky. Lettuce germinates for me like rabbits reproduce.

I just dig up the soil, rake it a bit, toss (scatter) the seeds, sprinkle on a few handfuls of soil, and pat it down. Step back, and wait. It grows. If the weather is cold, it may take a couple of weeks, but it grows. This year, it froze at least 12-15 times (sometimes hard) after it was planted. I'm now harvesting...

 

[i_am2bz]

Yeah, me too, Rozzie...lettuce is the one thing I find super-easy to grow. I mean, once it sprouts, you just sit back & wait for it to get big enough to snip off leaves. No worrying about pollination, setting fruit, dropping flowers, etc. The rabbits don't even bother it.

 

[thistlebloom]

I'm in the Lucky With Lettuce camp for some reason. A careless toss and it's in and up.
Peppers now, they elude me. My started in the house ones (are there any others at this latitude?) finallycame up, but I had an entire flat that didn't germinate. I waited and waited, and finally decided to resow. When I got the seed packages out I discovered I hadn't actually even opened the packet of peppers that I had so carefully recorded sowing...wow, talk about embarrassing!
Maybe lettuce is fundamentally shy, and doesn't like much attention...

 

[digitS']

. . . When I got the seed packages out I discovered I hadn't actually even opened the packet of peppers that I had so carefully recorded sowing...wow, talk about embarrassing! . . .

LOL! That is sooo like something I'd do!

I'm in that camp of easy lettuce gardeners. Soil type may be an issue.

. . . temperature? Can't take much heat as a mature plant.

Steve

 

[NurseNettie]

My lettuce grows like crazy. I am, however, in a cooler zone than you are. How hot is it where you're planting it just now? It needs warmth to sprout, but not too much- it prefers cooler soil and air temps. Since you didn't mention temps- this could be a problem, perhaps?

I have tried a few methods (sowing seeds directly in the ground, starting seeds in moist paper towel then planting in the garden, starting seeds in Miracle Grow Soil) and nothing seems to work. Am I missing a step for starting Romaine and Buttercrunch lettuce from seeds?