I have some dumb questions on lettuce. (I'm in Zone 7). Found an unopened packet of seeds from 2 years ago. Do seeds that old "take"?
And, does it survive in containers that are on the smaller side? Not tiny, but not very big either. Similar size to an African violet pot.
Thanks in advance from this clumsy oldster.
Seeds have a longer shelf life than many people expect. The only thing that I know of that’s pretty limited is onion seeds. They’re supposed to only be good for one year, but I easily got two out of them.
Here are some links to seed viability.
From the Farmer’s Almanac (they say 1 year):
How Long Do Seeds Last?
https://www.almanac.com/how-long-do-seeds-last
The Spruce is another good site for gardening info. (they say 6 years):
How Long Do Seeds Last and Are They Still Good?
https://www.thespruce.com/how-long-do-vegetable-seeds-last-1403089
I’d give it a try. You have nothing to lose.
The smaller the seed, the longer they keep their viability. Your lettuce should be just fine.
A small pot like that would work - but just for ONE head of lettuce. I would do a loose-leaf variety...but better yet, find another container so you can grow more at the same time.
Lettuce has a relatively shallow root system. I am going to start a lettuce ‘box’ that Beau built for me. It’s the size of a standard flat with a mesh (hardware cloth) bottom so it should work fine. He’s adding handles to the side of it today for easier, less messy transport. It’s similar to the boxes in the pictures I posted of the ‘Salad Tables’ a page back. :)
I have a habit of buying lettuce seeds when I find them. We favor the leaf lettuces like romaine. I started seeds from 2021 and did not expect them to start. They all did. We just do our lettuce in big planters now. No bending over. Leaf lettuces will need at least 6” of soil in a planter. You will get beautiful big heads if you can sew one seed at a time. I use peat pots. Leaf lettuce will grow if crowded but will not get very big.