Growing Lettuce

[Charles]

What is the best way to start growing lettuce seeds. I planted some in a little window cill propogator but they all got really scrawny really quickly, with a really long stem before the leaves started to develop. Also they were really tangled up so that when I tried to thin them, I damaged most of the stalks.

Should I plant individually in pots, or what. Any tips appreciated.

[gumbo2176]

This question has been here for quite some time with no replies, so I'll give it a shot. I direct plant seeds in the garden. I'll flatten the tops of my rows till they are approximately 24 inches wide and I'll make three fairly shallow furrows and put the seeds in them in a manner as to not have them too crowded when they sprout, cover them with the soil and tamp down just a bit, then water the area.

Like you've experienced, the seedlings do come up kind of spindly and very frail to the touch so when I thin them and use some for transplanting I'll use a small hand shovel to gently go under the plants to loosen the soil as much as possible and again, GENTLY pull the plants apart and transfer them to more open space. I've found this works well for me, but some loss is inevitable. The key word here is handle them gently. Then keep them well watered till they establish good roots. I plant mostly leaf varieties of lettuce since they can be harvested a little at a time as opposed to the heading types that are one and done.

[tomatogarden]

Originally Posted by gumbo2176

This question has been here for quite some time with no replies, so I'll give it a shot. I direct plant seeds in the garden. I'll flatten the tops of my rows till they are approximately 24 inches wide and I'll make three fairly shallow furrows and put the seeds in them in a manner as to not have them too crowded when they sprout, cover them with the soil and tamp down just a bit, then water the area.

Like you've experienced, the seedlings do come up kind of spindly and very frail to the touch so when I thin them and use some for transplanting I'll use a small hand shovel to gently go under the plants to loosen the soil as much as possible and again, GENTLY pull the plants apart and transfer them to more open space. I've found this works well for me, but some loss is inevitable. The key word here is handle them gently. Then keep them well watered till they establish good roots. I plant mostly leaf varieties of lettuce since they can be harvested a little at a time as opposed to the heading types that are one and done.

Great tips gumbo2176!