Your Favorite Lettuce

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

Old onion (family) seeds lose their viability. That is unlike tomato and pepper seeds that can be viable after decades. I wouldn't try to save them. Buy fresh seeds every year.

In a pinch you can buy Heirloom onion seeds grow the onions and let some go to seed and collect them each year.
Grano is a good one for the short day areas.

Worth

[kath]

Originally Posted by smithmal

Hmmm... I keep my seeds in a seed packet binder so I would think I'm doing well keeping them cool and dry. That being said, I tried growing seeds from a seed pack that I got the 2nd year and get very bad germination. Since then, I have always bought new seeds each year (which seems like such a waste since you tend to get 200-500 seeds a packet).

I have no idea how old the seeds were that I bought though.

In terms of them keeping 5 years, were those bought from a vendor or harvested from your own garden?

smithmal

ps - great thread BTW... I'm adding Nevada and Red Sails lettuce to my garden this year!

I meant vendor seeds- if I like the variety, or mix, I keep using it spring through fall until the packet's gone, and since I usually have many varieties trialing at the same time, that can be many years. Only one lettuce gave me poor germination and it was poor from the first sowing. Last year was the first time I saved my own lettuce seeds.

kath

[Father'sDaughter]

While I too have found that germination rates will go down with age, so many seeds come in a pack that you could triple or quadruple sow in subsequent years and usually get enough plants.

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

While I too have found that germination rates will go down with age, so many seeds come in a pack that you could triple or quadruple sow in subsequent years and usually get enough plants.

That is one way to deal with it, besides getting fresh seeds.
With onions you can always sow more seeds incase you get a poor germination.

[MI Dawn]

I have sown lettuce from 5 year old seed packages and had pretty good germination. Of course, I sow quite generously when they are old. Sometimes they will surprise me and most will germinate! Onions, I buy new each year.
My all time favorite lettuce is still Freckles or Forellenschlus. Love the flavor and the texture. One of the first heirlooms I grew over 25 years ago. My collection has grown to seeds from over 50 varieties and I enjoy almost all of them. I really enjoy those bred by Frank Morton.
I think I have a seed addiction. First lettuce, then dry beans, then tomatoes, then peppers and even flowers! Will it ever end? Nope.

[True Timbers]

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

While I too have found that germination rates will go down with age, so many seeds come in a pack that you could triple or quadruple sow in subsequent years and usually get enough plants.

Ya this...... Guess I never noticed, since lettuce seeds are "endless" in number...

[Brianmch]

A local seed vendor was selling Black Seeded Simpson in bulk. That variety had been mentioned here as being good so i picked up a 1/2 oz for $0.95. WAYYY cheaper than packet seed. I can always go back and get more if someone needs some.

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

That was also my experience with growing iceberg.

Mine,too.
I also like buttercrucnch and a red mix from BC. Another favorite is spicy Asian mix,although not a lettuce. I love baby red mustard in a salad.
I think my goats destroyed my huge bag of red mix so I may need to start shopping for lettuce seed. I'd like to try some raddichio and endive this year,too. It would be new to me and we have rarely even eaten it from the grocery.
I might need to add some melons,watermelons,etc. I'll probably end up buying $100 of seed again just to replace my lettuce seed. I have no control!

[imp]

Originally Posted by Tracydr

Mine,too.
I also like buttercrucnch and a red mix from BC. Another favorite is spicy Asian mix,although not a lettuce. I love baby red mustard in a salad.
I think my goats destroyed my huge bag of red mix so I may need to start shopping for lettuce seed. I'd like to try some raddichio and endive this year,too. It would be new to me and we have rarely even eaten it from the grocery.
I might need to add some melons,watermelons,etc. I'll probably end up buying $100 of seed again just to replace my lettuce seed. I have no control!

I buy almost all of my lettuce seed from E & R because they are prompt and very economical . Other seed too.

The down side for me, is you do have to snail mail them as they are either Amish or Mennonite and don't do the 'net, *sigh*- but they do ship fast.

Don't feel bad about the control thing, I think I need a 17 step program for wanting/buying seed.. but then you's just have a bunch of people all together who want seeds and we'd all start trading and there goes that program!!!

I have grown out lettuce seed that was 6 or 7 years old this last fall and had better than 50% germination and growth.

[KarenO]

commercially purchased seeds should include the date or year collected on them.

here they are labeled with the date and usually a "sow by" date.
anyway. If I am paying for seed I expect them to be fresh and germination tested. If they aren't, I wouldn't buy them.
for trades and home collected or seed you know is old, it is easy to do a germination test or just sow a bit thicker and hope for the best.
KarenO

Originally Posted by smithmal

Hmmm... I keep my seeds in a seed packet binder so I would think I'm doing well keeping them cool and dry. That being said, I tried growing seeds from a seed pack that I got the 2nd year and get very bad germination. Since then, I have always bought new seeds each year (which seems like such a waste since you tend to get 200-500 seeds a packet).

I have no idea how old the seeds were that I bought though.

In terms of them keeping 5 years, were those bought from a vendor or harvested from your own garden?

smithmal

ps - great thread BTW... I'm adding Nevada and Red Sails lettuce to my garden this year!

[imp]

I meant the lettuce seed was some I had had that long, not that S & R sold that old of seed.

[MI Dawn]

Your 17 step program made me laugh out loud. Yep, we'd all end up with even more seeds!
I love getting lettuce (and other stuff, too, of course) from Fedco and Pinetree. Very reasonable prices and good quality seed.

[greyghost]

I love both Fedco and Pinetree, too. I also wanted to mention that Tatiana has
a very nice selection of lettuce varieties. If you're shopping there for tomato seeds, check out the lettuce , especially peppers! and other things.

[Gardeneer]

I buy whatever I can find off the racks. I am not that fussy about lettuce.
I've already got some BIB and might get some Mesclun / Mishung /mix with some spicy stuff in it.

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by Brianmch

A local seed vendor was selling Black Seeded Simpson in bulk. That variety had been mentioned here as being good so i picked up a 1/2 oz for $0.95. WAYYY cheaper than packet seed. I can always go back and get more if someone needs some.

Always takes me back to my childhood as this is the kind my mother used to grow.