My greenhouse tomatoes are an iffy proposition in the long term, but cool weather crops like lettuce are a good bet. Lettuce is shallow rooted and I've read a number of articles that recommend planting in a shallow plastic tray with a transparent lid, like the ones bakery goods often come in. For some reason I've never had any luck growing plants in recycled plastic containers. I don't know why. I've decided not to risk my time, soil and seeds, so I use nursery pots.
I start out with my usual Nature's Care potting soil mixed with EcoScraps plant food in a one gallon pot. I pre-wet the soil and then place the seeds on the surface. Lettuce seeds are very small and it's hard to plant just a single seed, so I end up with at least a dozen spread around the soil. Next I sprinkle soil over the top, careful to only cover the seeds about 1/8 inch deep.
A salad of fresh picked lettuce and tomatoes from the greenhouse is hard to beat.
Stephen
I start out with my usual Nature's Care potting soil mixed with EcoScraps plant food in a one gallon pot. I pre-wet the soil and then place the seeds on the surface. Lettuce seeds are very small and it's hard to plant just a single seed, so I end up with at least a dozen spread around the soil. Next I sprinkle soil over the top, careful to only cover the seeds about 1/8 inch deep.
The lettuce seeds sprout in a little less than a week. It's easy to see how densely I broadcast the seeds.
Watering without damaging the leaves or getting dirt on them requires a bit of care. I use a small water picture I originally bought for houseplants. I waited to thin the plants until they had reached a good salad size. I'll harvest most of the plants and leave the others to form loose heads. It's time to plant another round of seeds.
Stephen
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