Question on planting romaine and leaf lettuce now

[tmstclaire]

I actually planted a bunch of this over a month ago and I've not seen one sprout. Does it take that long or is it just too hot now? I'm in Georgia and we have had a hot summer and someone mentioned that these germinate in cooler weather. If this is true, is it too late to plant some indoors and then take them out later in August?

I water where I plant everyday and my raised beds get direct (HOT) sun in the AM until about 1pm and then the sun is indirect.

Let me know what you all suggest. I can't wait to grow some lettuce!

[rainbowgardener]

If they didn't germinate in a month, they aren't going to. In the right conditions, lettuce seeds sprout in just a few days. But Georgia in July is definitely NOT the right conditions for lettuce! It is a cool weather crop. It is not too late to start it indoors under lights, but it might be too early. You have a long season there. Wait a few weeks and plant lettuce seeds (in the ground would be ok) in Sept.

[Bobberman]

In the warm weather lettuce will sprout in 2 to three days. The problem is slugs or snails! They will eat the two leaves of the new sprots when the come up! Sprinkle salt around where you plant the lettuce or start the lettuce inside and trans plant when it gets larger!

[tmstclaire]

I'm pretty sure that I don't have slugs, have not seen any evidence of them. My garden is in raised cedar beds and they are brand new this year. I don't think the pests have figured it all out just yet.

Does one have to have a grow light to start seeds indoors or will natural light do? What about setting them out in the am when the weather is milder to let them get a bit of sun without becoming too hot.

I have no patience to wait but if I must...

[soil]

I tossed my lettuce seed out a few days ago. I don't expect to see any sprouting until late august at least. for now the seeds will sit and wait until conditions are right.

[tmstclaire]

What about the seeds I planted? Are they done or will they too come up when conditions become better for them? I may also have planted them too deep.

[Bobberman]

Lettuce will sprout in the summer in three days. Start it in a small box with moist potting soil a 1/2 inch deep in a shady area. Trans plant it on a cloudy wet day aftyer it gets a few leaves besides the first two.! I start seeds indoors in april in a container of potting or composted soil just by mixing in into a small bag of the soil mix. I let it in the house for 4 days in the closed bag then pour it into a row with about 3 inch mound of the seed mix soil from the bad and it comes up right away! Lettuce sprouts in 55 degrees of higher in three to 4 days just like grass seed! As long as the soil is moist the seeds will sprout!

[gumbo2176]

I live in Louisiana and direct seed lettuce into the soil in mid September. It comes up and I will thin it in about 3 weeks after planting to the desired spacing and go from there.

I think it is just a little too hot to put lettuce in the garden just yet----at least for me. Lettuce will take a pretty good amount of cold and below freezing weather. I never lost much lettuce last fall/winter and it actually overwintered into the spring. I finally lost mine when it bolted due to hot weather coming on.

I didn't keep track of how much lettuce I picked last year but I'd venture to guess I picked between 20-25 five gallon buckets worth. I only grow leaf varieties and pick leaves off the plants instead of harvesting the whole plant.

[rainbowgardener]

What works for Bobber in PA will not necessarily work for you in GA.

No, I stand by what I said that your seeds planted a month ago are not going to sprout now, no matter what the conditions. They have rotted away long since, especially if buried deep. I don't bury lettuce seed at all. I get the soil in the lettuce bed well loosened up, sprinkle on a little potting soil to give the seeds a nice light medium (and/or just mix the seeds in a little bit of potting soil). Sprinkle the seeds on the bed and pat them lightly to be sure they are in contact with the soil. Then dust a light covering of potting soil over them.

They will need light to germinate indoors. Doesn't have to be a fancy grow light, fluorescent shop light will do (browse some of the stuff here on seed starting). I don't bother starting my lettuce indoors, it sprouts quickly in the ground, direct seeded, in early spring or early fall.

One of the things gardeners learn is patience! Go grow something else until it is time for your lettuce! With your long season, you could still start some beans or even tomatoes or zucchini now... It is still time for summer crops for you, not yet time for fall crops. Us northerners need to be doing fall crops now, because frost comes in little more than two months!

[Fig3825]

I am having some of the same problems. I planted lettuce here and there over the past 6 weeks. The lettuce I planted prior to the heatwave we are currently experiencing in the mid atlantic, most of what I planted has sprouted and is growing fine now. However, the stuff I planted about 3-4 weeks ago, when temps were 90+ daily, haven't budged. I think I'm going to start some indoors here soon and transplant them when they start to sprout. Either that or put them in some pots in a shaded area outside and see how they do there.

I was already convinced it was simply too hot for them to germinate. Based on what I read above, it seems I was correct.

[soil]

rainbow hit the nail on the head. you were not supposed to bury them. they need to be surface sowed.

[gixxerific]

And don't sprinkle salt for slug prevention, salt is not good for your soil. You can use diatamaceous earth or even just sand for them. The rough sand will cut them up and they won't come back.

If problems persist try starting them indoors. It just may too hot for them to germinate, they don't like the dog day's of summer.

[garden5]

Lettuce seeds need only be buried 1/4 in. deep at the most. As you can see. some here don't even blurry them at all.

Another reason it's not a good idea to grow lettuce in the high heat is that the heat will make it bolt (go to seed) and become bitter (at least in my experience with the variety that I grew). In your area, it really is best to wait until it's cooler.

[Bobberman]

Try oak leaf or dear tongue lettuce in the heat it will grow for a few weeks before it goes to seed! keep it wet after it sprouts and it will grow well for a longer time if there are no snails or slugs around! Lettuce will take a weeks or more to sprout with temp under 40 but only three days in temp over 60 and even at 100 degrees!! The problem with the high temp is if the ground is dry for even 24 hours the young lettuce will die quick so it must be kept moist for the first week of sprouting!

[barnercora]

I'm in Ga. also and I am not planning on planting any of the cool junk seed until September. Is just to hot here.

[rainbowgardener]

I'm in Ga. also and I am not planning on planting any of the cool junk seed until September. Is just to hot here.

I'm hoping you really meant cool crop seed!

[tedln]

I grow different types of lettuce every year. I've learned the hard way that lettuce (any variety, they are all basically a milk weed) does not germinate in hot weather. I plant leaf lettuce in late August or early September for fall and winter harvest. I plant head lettuce like Romaine in early to mid winter for spring harvest. I also plant more leaf lettuce in early winter for winter harvest.It's a waste of seed and effort for me to plant it when it is hot (106 degrees today).

I prepare the soil to soften it and add organics. I then mix my seed with sand and use an old garlic salt shaker to disperse the sand/seed mix evenly over the bed. The sand allows me to see if I am getting even coverage. I sometimes lightly brush the soil with my hand until I can no longer see the sand. You don't really need to brush the soil because when you sprinkle the soil with water, it will cause the seed to drop into the soil a short distance. Keep the soil moist for a few days and you will quickly have lettuce sprouts. Continue to keep the soil moist and you will soon have lettuce.

I plant thickly which allows me to start harvesting when the sprouts are small and continue harvesting plants instead of leaves. When planted thick, one or two sprouts or plants quickly fill in the space left when other sprouts or plants are harvested. It's like having a never ending salad bar.

This is a photo of a single twenty cent package of Italian Mix lettuce I bought at Walmart this past spring. (click photo to enlarge)

[img]https://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll308/tedln/2011%20Garden/IMG_2743.jpg[/img]

This is a photo of my Romaine lettuce planted under my cucumber trellis in the middle of winter.

[img]https://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll308/tedln/2011%20Garden/IMG_2756.jpg[/img]

Be patient and the summer heat will fade and the cool air of fall will arrive.

Good luck.
Ted

[barnercora]

I'm in Ga. also and I am not planning on planting any of the cool junk seed until September. Is just to hot here.

I'm hoping you really meant cool crop seed!

Yes, that's what I meant-rg