{"id":578,"date":"2015-02-12T23:09:00","date_gmt":"2015-02-12T23:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/johnbriner.com\/?p=578"},"modified":"2025-02-26T06:12:45","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T06:12:45","slug":"how-to-save-your-lettuce-seeds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/johnbriner.com\/?p=578","title":{"rendered":"How to Save Your Lettuce Seeds"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

How To Save Your Lettuce Seeds<\/strong>

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 Lettuces are unusual in the manner that they complete their cycle and go to seed. They don\u2019t dry down but instead they grow up. They put up a flowering stalk that can reach waist high and as they do so the leaves become shrunken versions of their former selves. The candelabra-like appearance of many cultivars is so attractive that their aesthetic appeal could be taken into consideration when planning your garden.

\u00a0\u00a0 A single lettuce can produce hundreds of small yellow flowers atop its stalk. The flowers become bunches of feathery little seed sites, each flower creating eight to fifteen seeds. The seeds are a miniature version of dandelion seeds, having a tiny parachute perfect for riding the breezes. They are little wedges about an eighth of an inch long and are either white or dark, depending on variety.
\u00a0\u00a0
\u00a0Someone wanting to have enough seed for the coming year could simply pluck two or three fuzzy seedheads to easily get a couple of dozen seeds.

\u00a0\u00a0 The seeds ripen over several weeks and when they start to appear there are many flowers still blooming. If you want a lot, it\u2019s best to wait until a third of the seeds are ready and collect them when conditions are as dry as possible.

<\/p>

<\/a><\/div>

\u00a0\u00a0 The plants can be tipped into whatever container you\u2019re employing and shaken to release the seeds. You can also rub the seedheads between the thumb and forefingers of one hand while holding the bucket or bag under them with the other. I\u2019ve found the plastic pails that are usually available from stores that sell ice cream cones to be perfect for gathering lots of different seeds: seedheads can be easily bent into them and shaken against the sides.

\u00a0\u00a0 After harvest, lettuce seeds are best dried for another day or two. Spread them out on plates, pans, trays or bucket lids in a warm, airy place. The freshly gathered seed usually comes with a little fluff and flower parts. The fluff quickly dries in the presence of heat and any little bugs you may have picked with the seeds will usually disappear in a few hours.\u00a0

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 The seed can be rubbed between the fingers to release the fluff. Most of the fluff can be easily blown away if you\u2019re careful not to blow too hard. Sifting it through an appropriate screen can also clean the seed. For the amateur seed saver, it is not crucial for the seeds to be totally clean, just totally dry.\u00a0

\u00a0\u00a0 It\u2019s wise to have identifying labels accompanying the seeds at each step and to put sticky labels on
their containers.

\u00a0\u00a0 Lettuce seeds take up little space. It\u2019s easy to find small glass or plastic containers for them. Film canisters and plastic bags also work well.
\u00a0\u00a0
<\/a>Lettuce seed is usually collected in September and October. If you want to be a saver of lettuce seed, it\u2019s best to find those cultivars that produce the kind of lettuce you like but also produce seed before the plants are frozen or rained out. In short season growing areas, it might be necessary to start lettuces early indoors.

\u00a0\u00a0 Lettuces rarely cross but it\u2019s best to not allow undomesticated lettuce varieties, such as Wild or Prickly Lettuce, to flower nearby.

\u00a0\u00a0 If you start saving lettuces you\u2019ll be amazed by the wonderful shapes, textures and colors of the leaves plus all the diverse ways the flowering stalks shoot up.
\u00a0\u00a0
Lettuce seeds keep a high viability for at least four years.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/div>
– John Briner

Adapted from:\u00a0http:\/\/www.seedsanctuary.com\/articles\/seedsaving.cfm<\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How To Save Your Lettuce Seeds \u00a0\u00a0 Lettuces are unusual in the manner that they complete their cycle and go […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":829,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hops-homesteading"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t