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  • #1

    Seed saving question: lettuce

    Hi all,

    I got this beautiful rare lettuce from a very kind grape last year (I won't tell because otherwise she'll have a cue at her front door this afternoon and would love to save it, both for myself and the seed circle.
    Now I have never saved seeds from lettuce before but from what I read I think I'll have to isolate it to keep it from cross-pollinating with wild plants, and I would like to sew bags from fleece that I can re-use.

    Can anyone tell me which size would be best?
    ...bonkers about beans... and now a proud Nutter!
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  • #2
    Nellie there's some good info here from gardenorganic.org on lettuce seed saving it mentions wrapping the whole plant in fleece.

    Saving lettuce seed
    Last edited by Bren In Pots; 02-08-2013, 09:18 AM. Reason: link
    Location....East Midlands.

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    • #3
      Lettuce

      Lettuce flowers are self pollinating, and very rarely cross. If you plan to save seed from more than one variety of lettuce, separate them by around 12 foot or plant a tall crop in between the rows.

      Select two or three good lettuces from your row, and mark them for seed. It is very important not to save seed from any plants that bolt early, as you want to select for lettuces that stand well. Heading lettuces may need a little help for the flowering stalk to emerge; slitting the heads partially open with a knife works well.

      Once the lettuces have flowered, the seeds will ripen gradually, starting in about a fortnight. Harvest seed daily to get the maximum yield, shaking into a bag. Or wait until a reasonable number of seeds are ready and then cut the whole plant. Put it head first into a bucket, shaking and rubbing to remove the seeds. If you leave the whole cut plant upside down in the bucket somewhere dry, slightly immature seeds will continue to ripen over the next few days.

      Most of what you have collected in the bucket will be white 'feathers' and chaff. To sort the seed, shake it gently in a kitchen sieve. Some seeds will fall through the sieve, with the rest collecting in the bottom. The feathers and chaff will rise to the top, and you can pick them off. There's no need to get the seed completely clean; a little chaff stored and planted along with the seeds won't cause any harm.

      If the seed feels a little damp, dry it further on a plate before labelling and storing. Lettuce seed should keep for around 3 years, provided it is kept cool and dry.

      Taken from this site How To Save Your Own Seed at Home

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      • #4
        Thanks, Bren and RL, for all this very useful information!
        Your link, Bren, mentions that
        "Cultivated lettuce will occasionally cross with wild lettuce (lactuca serriola)."
        That is what I read, and as wild lettuce seems to be everywhere I want to be 100% safe and isolate the plants. I positively hate sewing but would make some bags for this reason, but I want to be sure they are an appropriate size
        I saw pictures with seedheads in fleece bags but couldn't tell how big they really were.
        ...bonkers about beans... and now a proud Nutter!

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        • #5
          https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=e...st%3B453%3B604

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          • #6
            Thanks, RL , for the pictures of seedheads. Like I said, I've seen pictures of seedheads but I'm finding it hard to figure out just how big a bag would need to be from a photo.
            ...bonkers about beans... and now a proud Nutter!

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