[fatbelly]

Will Lettuce germinate outdoors at this time of year.
They will be in seed trays so I will bring them indoors each night, so the lowest temp they will have is about 8c during the daytime.

[mumofstig]

tables suggest they will germinate from 5'C, but a few degrees above that will speed things up a bit.
Could you keep them indoors, hide them under the bed  until they germinate and then put them out? Or put them outside under a bit of glass or polythene to start?

[Aidy]

First off, keep your lettuce seed in the fridge, it will keep for years that way.
Lettuce is a cooler weather plant and don't like to get to hot, if the seeds goes above 70 it will become dormant.
I have two trays in the greenhouse now, all germinated all happily putting on leaves so I wouldn't worry to much, so long as they are covered they should be ok.

[eeedowls]

mine have started germinating in an unheated wooden growhouse (started germinating on 14/03/11 - sown on 06/03/11).

I also put some in a container in full sun next to a south facing wall - nothing from there yet

variety is Little Gem

for info - Radish in the growhouse have started showing too - all done at the same time...

[rowlandwells]

having set my lettuce seed  in the greenhouse there up and pricked out little gem and Thom thumb into modules set some other varieties yesterday chancellor Sonia and gondar all pelleted seed 

germination has been very good so far as the greenhouse is not heated all the time
i am growing the above varieties for the first time this season it will be interesting to see how long the pelleted seed take to germinate 

[viettaclark]

I scattered a load of mixed old lettuce seed in large pots outside the back door and they've come up. Took less than 2 weeks to germinate even with that cold spell.

[johnfh]

I find mine germinate widely within 5 days in a a  basic electric propagator in a cold greenhouse but this tails off rapidly as the weather gets wamer (too hot can be a bad as too cold it seems!)

[DD.]

Last two posts just prove you don't need an electric propagator for lettuce!

[johnfh]

I agree but if you have one it does make germination quicker if used properly so you may as well use it!

Links to more info below from google; many more available if you are interested.

http://tomclothier.hort.net/page11.html

http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/sciences/botanicalsciences/plantreproduction/SeedGermination/SeedGermination.htm

[mumofstig]

and the question was..................

Will Lettuce germinate outdoors at this time of year. 

[johnfh]

Than the answer should be obvious.

[DD.]

Obviously it wasn't, otherwise the question would not have been asked, would it?

Not everyone knows everything.

[johnfh]

My rersponse above was to MOS who seemed to infer that my response was not the 'correct' answer to the question. Always thought people on this board appreciated additional relevant information. This is getting silly I will not be making any more responses on this thread.

[TheSpartacat]

Fatbelly, i sowed some lettuce seed early last October (a winter variety) as a long shot.
They did nothing all Winter...

... and germinated in Feb... i now have a nice row of lettuces coming :-)
So... yes!

[flitwickone]

i sowed lettuce last sunday afternoon whacked them in the cold frame the 1st 2 are showing already
dont give them heat plant in compost whack in cold frame job done