Lettuce Seeds - Freckles

Lettuce can be seeded in the spring as soon as the soil can be worked. Days to maturity are from direct seeding in spring conditions, subtract 10-14 days if transplanting, subtract 7-10 days if planting in summer conditions, add 20 days if planting late summer-fall In certain areas, lettuce can be grown throughout the summer by choosing varieties which are heat tolerant; however, many lettuce varieties have difficulty germinating in soils above 75°F.  Start transplants 3-4 weeks before setting out.  Sow seeds 4 per inch in flats or small-cell plug trays, barely covering with fine soil.  If sowing into flats, transplant 2 weeks later into plug trays, pots, or into another flat at 1-2” apart.

Cut lettuce holds best when harvested in the morning and cooled rapidly.  For salad mix or baby leaf production, harvest individual leaves when they reach desired size, or cut evenly across the bed making sure to stay above the growing tip.  For a continuous harvest, sow lettuce every 3 weeks.