The early lettuce is starting to expand, stretching and sprawling around the trays (it’s off to the greenhouse for transplanting in about a week). Even in the pic, Simpson Elite looks good enough to eat! I started the season’s tasting with a couple of tiny leaves. They literally melt in your mouth!
lettuce
Lettuce under the lights
Checking in with the early lettuce. The seedlings are developing their first true leaves. Fluorescent lighting is inexpensive and does the trick, but it still bothers me how seedlings stretch and strain toward the available light, when what they really want is the Sun.
Lettuce overnight
The first lettuce pushed up overnight! Here, lovely red Granada, an Oakleaf-type leaf lettuce that intensifies into a deep burgundy as it matures. Also in trays, Sierra, Simpson Elite, Two Stars and Red Salad Bowl. Now, how early will they be ready for market (the farmers’ market kicks off the first Saturday in May…)?
Lettuce begins
This is what lettuce looks like when it’s just getting started. It’s the standard seed starting mix in action! Yet another off-season image from the microfarm. :)
First market!
First day of the year at the local farmers’ market. It’s held Saturdays, 7am to 1pm, from May through October. Today, there are four varieties of the early lettuce, only around 30 units. At this point in the season, it’s mainly being there that counts.
Early lettuce expands
Lettuce started indoors weeks ago, transplanted to the unheated greenhouse (hot days, cold nights), and now finally kicking in with expansive growth. It’s Simpson Elite upfront, Granada (red) and Sierra in the middle, and Two Stars in back (and Optima just out of sight).
Lettuce progresses
Still waiting for a few super early lettuce to get over being transplanted and start to do their thing. Rapid, lush and leafy growth is all that is expected…