Planting Lettuce
Spring is a great time to plant your lettuce, as it is frost tolerant and enjoys the cooler weather. The most difficult part of growing lettuce is sewing the seeds. Lettuce seeds are tiny and must be planted only an 1/8″ deep. I picked up a great tip from Steve Solomon’s book, Gardening When it Counts, that has made planting the tiny lettuce seeds easier.
Making a furrow with a hoe handle
After turning in fresh compost and organic fertilizer into my garden bed, I raked it smooth. Next I took the handle of my hoe and slightly pressed it into the soil to make a uniform, shallow furrow. Gently pressing the soil down helps restore the capillary action directly beneath the seed bed too, helping to keep the seeds moist.
Tape measure to assist with seed spacing
Next I laid down a tape measure to help me keep track of the seed spacing. I overseeded, one seed every 2″, and will thin as the plants become larger. In addition to keeping the seeds spaced correctly, the tape measure helps you keep track of where you left off. When you take your eyes off the furrow, it’s hard to see the little brown seeds in the dirt and figure out where you last dropped a seed if there is no reference point.
Furrow covered with fine compost
I finished off by sprinkling a thin layer of fine compost over the furrow, and patted it down gently. The fine compost makes it easier for those little plants to break through the soil.
And now for the hardest part…waiting! What are your tips for planting small seeds?
