I decided to sow a crop of lettuce outside today. I know it's only the middle of March, but lettuce is a cool weather plant and I sowed the seeds in a cold frame. All in all, I'm hoping this will give us a jump on the growing season. I've sowed lettuce seeds in the cold frame the past few years, but never this early, so this is an experiment of sorts. The soil temperature inside the cold frame is above 50°F and even with the air temp in the low 50s, the cold frame was maintaining 70°F - ideal conditions for the Spring Mix we ordered from The Cook's Garden. If all goes well, we'll be eating fresh salad by early May.
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I'll be planting my lettuce soon. Do you save your own seed? Lettuce is my favorite veggie to do this with. The seeds retain viability for several years, so I grow several varieties each year, but only let one bolt and bloom. I've been saving Rouge d'Hiver for over a decade now.
Doug - No, I've never tried saving any seeds. Maybe I'll try it this year. I always start out with grand plans for the garden, but I always fall behind with harvesting and maintenance, so letting a few lettuce go to seed shouldn't be much work :)
When I harvest my lettuce, I leave a few leaves at the bottom. I can harvest the resprouts a time or two, then the plants start getting bitter. That's when I let them bolt and bloom.
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