Hi all, My lettuce has bolted. I cannot complain, I have been rolling in lettuce for months now. I swear I have rabbit ears now on my head. So the remaining lettuce has bolted. The plants were grown from a seed mixture, so I have all different kinds of lettuce. How do I harvest the seed? Will it be obvious? Some of the plants are blooming now. Thanks in advance for your help.
Yep, wait until they have a little "dandelion" puff for their seeds. Harvest which ever ones you like the best. It will grow just as nice and true to seed next year (or even reseed some of them this month for a Fall crop).
You are welcome. I have lettuce that goes to seed every year and reseeds and regrows because I just let it go.
No, I actually plant seed I buy if I need for my greenhouse sales, but I have volunteer lettuce growing in odd spots from it reseeding itself.
Netty, I think that depends on the kind of lettuce seed you use. If it is hybridized, it won't come true. If it is open-pollinated it should. I just did some research. I read that most home lettuce is not only open pollinated but also self pollinating! That is actually good news for me because I planted a mix of lettuce seeds. The plants looked so pretty in the garden, like a bouquet: red leaves, pale green, medium green, green with red freckles, etc curly, super curly, flat, etc. They were gorgeous! Okay okay I admit it, I am a gardening nerd.
I think I may tie a piece from a pantyhose leg over the top of the lettuce plant, leaving the top loose, so the seeds can fall into it. I left radish plants to seed and they came up from 2014. Also 2014's kale came up this spring giving me enough seed for 2016 and to share.
