I live in mtns and last frost date is May 24. I love gardening (veggies and flowers) but don’t have a green thumb and have never been able to grow lettuce from seed. So this yr I’m buying lettuce PLANTS online.
My question: how early can i plant? I would hope to plant in late Apr, and cover with bucket when hard frost predicted. Any advice on growing lettuce?
I’m looking so forward to spring this yr...as is everyone.
Do seed...it’s one of the easiest things to gro.
Sounds like a good plan. Lettuce can tolerate temperatures down to 28 degrees, so cover them up if it’s going to be colder.
You might want to look into a cold frame. They’re easy enough to put together, and will really extend your season in the spring and in the fall.
It doesn’t have to be this fancy, but here is the general idea:
https://www.growveg.com/guides/how-to-make-a-cold-frame-step-by-step/
And, even though you didn’t ask, my favorite books about growing year-round and/or in cold climates and short growing seasons are by authors Elliot Coleman (Barbara Damrosh is his wife, she’s good too!) or Niki Jabbour.
You could start your own lettuce indoors in a BioDome. I bought one and sowed seeds (flowers) last weekend, and half of the species I sowed are up already today.
website: parkseed.com
search “BioDome”
I got the double one, holds 2 trays of 40 plugs each.
They sell a single one too.
The double BioDome was not much more money than the single.
Very sturdy plastic. I’m very pleased with my BioDome.
It lets me start slow growing seeds indoors now (Wisconsin).
Lettuce is easy to grow from seed.
Park Seed sells that too, naturally. ☺️