how to plant lettuce seeds

When sowing seeds directly into the soil, you should plant approximately 10 seeds per foot. Space your rows 12 to 18 inches apart. Thin leaf lettuce seedlings to 4 inches apart. Romaine and butterhead lettuce seedlings require 6 to 8 inches between each plant.

1. Do you need to soak lettuce seeds before planting?
2. What month do you plant lettuce seeds?
3. Can you direct sow lettuce seeds?
4. How deep do you sow lettuce seeds?
5. Does lettuce need full sun?
6. How long does lettuce take to grow from seed?
7. How many lettuce seeds do you plant in one hole?
8. How do you harvest lettuce so it keeps growing?
9. Can you plant seeds directly in the garden?
10. Can you plant seeds straight into the garden?
11. What vegetables can I plant from seed now?
12. How often do you water lettuce seeds?
13. Do lettuce seeds need light to germinate?
14. How do you know when lettuce is ready to harvest?
15. How much direct sunlight does lettuce need?
16. What can lettuce be planted with?
17. Does lettuce need a lot of water?
18. Should I germinate seeds before planting?
19. What seeds should be soaked before planting?
20. Should I soak spinach seeds before planting?

Do you need to soak lettuce seeds before planting?

In warmer temperatures, imbibing or soaking the seeds in water for at least 16 hours before planting in a well-lit area will increase the germination percentages greatly. ... Shading the lettuce plants can give enough of a temperature drop to keep them from bolting, sometimes up to 3 – 5 weeks.

What month do you plant lettuce seeds?

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). To grow great lettuce, find a site that offers at least six to eight hours of direct sun.

Can you direct sow lettuce seeds?

Lettuce: ... Lettuce prefers cool weather and will tolerate frost once established. Direct sow seeds as soon as the ground can be worked. Plant seeds 1/4-inch deep and keep soil evenly moist.

How deep do you sow lettuce seeds?

Sow seeds thinly, 13mm (½in) deep, in rows 30cm (1ft) apart. Sow a short row every fortnight to ensure continuity of cropping.

Does lettuce need full sun?

Although lettuce grows fastest in full sun, it is one of the few vegetables that tolerates some shade. In fact, a spring crop often lasts longer if shaded from the afternoon sun as the season warms. ... Give lettuce fertile, well-drained, moist soil with plenty of rich organic matter and a pH between 6.0 and 7.0.

How long does lettuce take to grow from seed?

How Long Does It Take Lettuce to Grow? Lettuce grows fairly quickly. Leaf varieties reach maturity in 30 days but can be harvested as soon as they reach the desired size. Other types of lettuce require 6 to 8 weeks to reach full harvest size.

How many lettuce seeds do you plant in one hole?

Lettuce. Germination rates are around 80%, so anywhere from 1 to 3 seeds are often planted per hole. Plant at least two to guarantee a high per-hole germination rate of 96%.

How do you harvest lettuce so it keeps growing?

Cut the outer lettuce leaves about 1 inch above the crown. This protects the crown so the lettuce can continue growing. Cut off the amount of lettuce needed when the leaves reach a length between 3 and 6 inches. Water the lettuce regularly to encourage continued growth even after you begin harvesting.

Can you plant seeds directly in the garden?

Growing seeds indoors is one way of starting your garden. Another option is to tuck seeds directly into soil outdoors. ... Even so, many vegetables, annuals, herbs and perennials sprout easily from seed sown directly into garden soil.

Can you plant seeds straight into the garden?

Sowing seed outdoors, directly into final growing places, is ideal for gardeners who do not have much room to raise seed indoors in trays or propagators. You also don't need to start seed sowing as early in spring as when you sow outdoors.

What vegetables can I plant from seed now?

Top five veg to sow now

• Onions. I'm not saying that it's easy to grow onions from seed – in fact it's much simpler to plant sets (tiny bulbs) in spring or autumn. ...
• Microleaves. ...
• Broad beans. ...
• Chillies. ...
• Baby carrots. ...
• Also worth a try. ...
• Not worth sowing till much later.

How often do you water lettuce seeds?

ANSWER: Lettuce should be watered not daily but instead about twice a week, or once every four or five days, for most of its growing period. It will need to be watered lightly but more frequently for the first two weeks after planting, perhaps daily, depending on your climate.

Do lettuce seeds need light to germinate?

Seeds that require light to germinate are lettuce and savory. These seeds should not be covered with soil or just barely. ... These seeds can germinate in light if surrounded by moist soil or they can be lightly covered with soil.

How do you know when lettuce is ready to harvest?

Lettuce leaves are ready for harvest when they have grown to about 3 to 6-inches long. More leaves will grow back before the lettuce plant "bolts" or turns to mostly bitter-tasting, tough stems and seeds.

How much direct sunlight does lettuce need?

Almost all varieties of lettuce are short-day plants. They need about ten to twelve hours of sunlight per day for their healthy growth. However, the term 'full sun' means any place that receives at least six hours of dappled or direct sunlight daily.

What can lettuce be planted with?

These companion plants for lettuce include:

• Beets.
• Carrots.
• Parsnips.
• Strawberries.
• Radishes.
• Onions.
• Asparagus.
• Corn.

Does lettuce need a lot of water?

Watering. Lettuce requires plenty of water in order to thrive. Not giving your lettuce plants enough water is sure to affect their growth. Warm weather lettuce require even more water so if you live in an area where rainfall is inadequate, be sure to provide supplemental water through irrigation.

Should I germinate seeds before planting?

Soaking seeds before planting helps you to break down the seed's natural defenses against what it expects from Mother Nature, which then allows it to germinate faster. ... These inhibitors must be leached away before a seed can germinate. In nature with natural rainfall, this process can take some time.

What seeds should be soaked before planting?

In the vegetable garden, this means peas, beans, corn, pumpkins and squash; even chard and beets. Smaller seeds — lettuce, radishes, carrots, and the like — are hard to handle once their soaked and don't really need it anyway. Flower seed to soak? Sunflower, lupine, sweet pea, nasturtium take well to soaking.

Should I soak spinach seeds before planting?

About a week before planting, soak spinach seeds in room temperature water for 24 hours. ... Shift the seeds to an airtight container, and keep in a cool place for up to a week. The primed seeds will retain enough moisture to complete the first two stages of germination.