The film you are about to see is going to give you the education you need to be able to grow your own "amazing" vegetables. If you're not already a gardener you only need the decision to do what you are about to see being done. If you are already a gardener, I think you will enjoy seeing what I do in my little garden... and I'd love to see what you can do in yours!
We can grow lettuce year round here in Los Angeles, but if you’re starting to get spring fever in a colder climate, one of the first things you’ll probably be able to plant is lettuce.
We prefer Black Seeded Simpson, a hearty leaf lettuce, as you see in the DVD. I buy it by the ¼ lb. package from Peaceful Valley Nursery, for about $11.00. They say there are about 100,000 seeds per ounce. I haven’t counted them, but a ¼ lb. of it is enough to re-plant a 17-20 square foot bed 5-7 times over the next year and a half. I keep all my seeds in the refrigerator, as they’ll remain fully dormant and in much better condition than if they’re left at room temperature. The last crop of lettuce is always just as vigorous as the first.
If your soil isn’t somewhat fine, the seed has a hard time in setting down the initial roots. Over 20 years ago when I was first filling my raised beds, I used a lot of Supersoil and was happy with it. Yesterday I bought some 2 cubic foot bags for $5.97 per bag. That’s about $3.00 less than I’ve been paying for bags of “premium” compost, which was much coarser material than I like, but presumably it was the best on the market.
Upon opening the bag, I remembered why I had liked it 20 years ago. I trust the ingredients as much as any other commercial compost, but always prefer to use my own. I always use more compost than I can make. The Supersoil is finely ground, and perfect for planting lettuce. Lettuce isn’t a “heavy feeder.”
If your soil is coarse, you might want to try:
* Evenly spread about 2 cubic feet of fine compost over a 15-20 square foot planting bed. Spread your fish, bone, and kelp meals over the compost, if you’re using them. Don’t apply more than the package calls for-more is not better.
* Dig, with a digging fork, the compost in to the depth of the fork, about one foot, and mix it well with the soil. I never use a shovel in my beds as it destroys too many earthworms. I haven’t cut one in two with a digging fork, as you will if you use a shovel. Contrary to the popular myth, fewer than 10% of worms will survive being cut in two. If at all, only the half with the smooth band might survive.
* Smooth the bed out and level it as well as you can.
* Spread about 1 inch of the fine compost over the bed.
* Replace your drip system, if you’re using one.
* Saturate the bed with water, ensuring the entire surface is wet.
* Scatter a small handful of lettuce seed, as even as possible, over the entire bed and gently spray water over the entire bed until the surface looks very wet -- not so wet that the seeds float together and form clumps. (It’s hard to see the black seeds on the black compost, so observe closely where your seeds fall. Other leaf lettuce seeds are beige in color).
* Two problems: 1) Keeping the seeds moist until they germinate. 2) Keeping birds from eating the seed before they germinate. The following are solutions to those problems.
* Cover the bed with cardboard, (I keep large cardboard boxes and cut them into large single sheets) or suspend "floating row cover" over the bed. If you use floating row cover, don't let it lay on the surface of the bed. You can use stakes and just tack the row cover to the tops of the stakes.
* Remove the cardboard after 2-3 days, or if you've used floating row cover, you can leave it there for as long as necessary.
If you have hot dry weather you may need to cover the bed with cardboard during the next few days beyond the first 2-3, uncovering the bed late in the day, and covering it up again in the morning. You might see some white mold forming. Not to worry, as it will be gone quickly when the sun and air get to it.
The advantages to planting leaf lettuce seeds this way is that you don’t need to cover the seeds with soil so they’ll sprout faster, the cardboard cover, or floating row cover, holds the temperature of the soil and seeds at a more constant temperature, and the seeds don’t dry out during the day when you can’t always keep them moist.
Of course you can omit the cardboard and just carefully cover the seeds with about 1/8th of an inch of fine, light soil. I’ve never been able to master that talent, but the cardboard or floating row cover is a perfect solution. In a few weeks, enjoy a great salad!
