I direct sowed lettuce seeds in a raised bed 2 weeks ago (right before the snowy monday). I haven't seen any shoots yet.
Did I jump the gun on direct sowing? Can you give me some direction on the best time to direct sow lettuce and spinach in the spring? Last year I waited until May and then my lettuce season was very short.
Answer
Dear Trisha: You may have jumped the gun mainly because of this spring being so cold! If the seeds don't come up this week when it is going to be warm, you may have to replant. The timing for planting lettuce seeds is 4 weeks before the last Spring frost date which is around April 15 in our area. If you do a fall planting, plant seeds 8 weeks before the first fall frost date which is around November 15. Your timing should have been about right but this year everything seems to be slow. Hopefully the seeds will germinate this week!