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Why Didn’t My Lettuce Seeds Sprout?

Why didn’t my lettuce seeds sprout?

It’s like a Nancy Drew case. Why didn’t the lettuce germinate? Why the empty yard mattress?

I’m going by means of the case of the disappearing lettuce now, and I truly actually really feel I do know the reply.

There are a selection of decisions to the question “Why didn’t my lettuce seeds sprout?”

Incorrect Temperature – Too Scorching

Lettuce is fussy about temperature, that’s for constructive. It prefers soil temps someplace between 40 – 80 ranges, however when it’s too warmth, it gained’t germinate, and too chilly, it gained’t sprout, each. I planted my lettuce seeds all by means of the identical time as I do yearly (March) nonetheless this yr’s March native local weather was undecided. Some days, we had fairly 60-degree days, nonetheless then the nights dropped beneath freezing. It’s attainable that the lettuce germinated nonetheless an early frost killed it.

Seeds Planted Too Deeply

Lettuce is photodormant, which suggests it gained’t germinate in darkness. I do know I buried this particular patch of lettuce seeds too deeply. Lettuce seeds look like grass seeds, which as many house owners know, may very well be photodormant. It needs light to germinate so that you just simply merely sprinkle it on prime of the soil and calmly work it in. In my case, nonetheless, I dug it in about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch deep, following the bundle deal deal directions (which have been fallacious). To precisely plant lettuce seeds, sprinkle them on prime of the soil, after which sprinkle somewhat little bit of little little little bit of soil over the seeds. Don’t pour soil over it or as I did, dig it in. If the seeds are too deeply planted they gained’t buy light and positive, they hold dormant.

A Creature Dug Up (or Ate) the Seeds

I actually like my cats, nonetheless they’re pains contained within the neck contained within the raised yard beds, significantly contained within the spring as shortly as they shed. They get itchy, they sometimes favor to roll spherical on the underside. Largely they roll on the gravel driveway, which is okay. It scrapes their unfastened fur off and we’re all completely joyful. Sometimes they toll on patches of filth, which infuriates my husband resulting from there was as shortly as grass rising fortuitously in that spot until it was rolled on by seven crazy itchy felines.

Nonetheless, contained within the raised mattress, they’re often dangerous little beggars. They dig up seeds as shortly as they dig their latrine holes. Largely, nonetheless, as I wander all by means of the raised beds weeding or tending my vegetation and my as quickly as additional is turned for the second they roll spherical on the vegetation. And that’s when the issue arises. I truly actually really feel a variety of cats squashed irrespective of had germinated.

It’s doable chances are you’ll defend cats out of the yard with screens or covers over the vegetation. One methodology makes use of a specific plastic with versatile plastic spikes on it, type of just like the mats you set down on office carpet to protect it from rolling chairs. The spikes gained’t harm kitty or the wildlife nonetheless they do discourage the rolling conduct. I haven’t resorted to spokes merely however. I replanted my seeds and hoped for the fitting.

The Seeds Had been Too Earlier

These particular seeds have been from a wonderful seed firm, nonetheless they’ve been over a yr outdated, so they may have been earlier their prime. I am going to sometimes purchase seeds from the dollar retailer or low price retailers. Quite a few these seed packages are older and have lower germination payments. The Roma tomato seeds, as an example, that I planted from the dollar retailer seed bundle deal deal did not germinate nonetheless these purchased from a nationwide and revered seed catalog did. That happens with some kinds of seeds. There are germination exams chances are you’ll perform to see if the seeds are nonetheless viable, nonetheless I merely plant and hope for the fitting.

I do know that it wasn’t water or lack of water since I did pull the yard hose out and gives the seeds tons to drink each single day.

photo of buttercrunch lettuce
Image by Agence Produceurs Locaux Damien Kühn on Unsplash

Lettuce contained within the Yard or Containers

The Garnet Lettuce seeds, planted from a bundle deal deal purchased from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds inside the next raised mattress over, is flourishing, so I’ll have lettuce lastly. I cracked open one fully completely different bundle deal deal of seeds and a second bundle deal deal fo Romaine (Cos) and sprinkled it on the underside of the empty mattress. I shooed Rocky and Shy Boy, two of the cats, away from the world as I labored; every have been intent on discovering what I had merely sprinkled on the soil. With luck and in the interim’s moist forecast, I’d merely resolve the thriller of why my lettuce seeds didn’t spout.

It’s a case that may baffle Nancy Drew nonetheless not this gardener!

Have you ever ever learnt moreover it’s attainable to develop lettuce in containers?

Trying to find recipes to take advantage of up all that modern yard lettuce? Strive my roundup of Residence Yard Pleasure’s Biggest Salad Recipes.

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