Don't write to the seed company right away. Most often, poor germination is caused by letting the seedbed dry out. It has to be continuously moist. Drying out occurs more often during hot-weather plantings, and not as much with early spring plantings. Sometimes a light mulch of hay or straw to shade the soil after you plant will keep the soil moist until the plants are up. But don't delay in removing the mulch once you see the plants.
Also be sure to cover the seeds correctly - use just 1/4 to 1/2 inch of moist soil. If your soil gets very crusty and hard before the plants are up, gently run a lawn rake over the surface to break up the hard soil.
Bitter GreensBitter lettuce is usually old lettuce, and the older it is, the worse it tastes. Harvest lettuce when it's young - as soon as there's something to eat - and harvest often. Don't wait for leaves to get big. Make frequent plantings of different varieties through the summer, so you'll always have tender sweet lettuce coming in.
Bolting LettuceSeedstalks develop with warm weather and long days. It's the natural urge of a plant, and there's nothing you can do after lettuce bolts. Bolting won't affect you if you make successive plantings and harvest early. Cut the entire plant off about an inch above the ground. Also, try slow-bolting varieties such as Black-Seeded Simpson that can take some heat.
Wide-row planting slows bolting, too, as the close-growing plants keep the soil and roots cool.
For 25 years, the family-owned Victory Seed Company has provided the highest quality vegetable, herb and flower seeds to families across the country. We are passionate about providing you the best seeds available that give excellent germination, robust plants, and the harvest you want. With a catalog of over a thousand varieties, we have everything, and our prices are the kinds that we'd want to pay. We have hundreds of yesterday's heirloom vegetables, as well as today's award winning hybrid selections. Get to know us by visiting our website and browsing through our online vegetable seed catalog.
1. Cultivating Greens |
2. Fertilizing Greens |
3. Watering Greens Crops |
4. Solving Lettuce Problems ← you're on this article right now |
5. Greens' Diseases & Insects |
6. Cabbage Pests |
1. Cultivating Greens |
2. Fertilizing Greens |
3. Watering Greens Crops |
4. Solving Lettuce Problems ← you're on this article right now |
5. Greens' Diseases & Insects |
6. Cabbage Pests |