When can I start lettuce?

 

I know it is probably okay to start Spinach and other cool weather greens,
but we just had an out of the ordinary downpour of snow in and around Dallas
today.  I want to start some greens for the farm stand...Mesclun and leaf
lettuces etc.  Will these start in the cold?  If lettuce is frozen in the
supermarket it's ruined.  I can do hoop covers with rebar and plastic, or
even build a more sturdy cover.  I don't really want to do cold frames, I
think they are too small/ too much trouble for the South, does that make
sense?
P.S.  I was thinking of just getting a couple of small kiddie pools and
filling with all the finished compost I have plus some bagged product to
fill it up.  My area set aside for this project is not ready yet (tons of
Bermuda has to be killed out before I will even think of putting in
permanent raised beds) so this would be temporary.

Thanks in advance.


--
Rita Foust
Garland, TX
Zone 7b-8a
Farmer Jones Eco-Friendly Plants & Produce
http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M10383  

 

wrote:

All I can tell you is that I start mine 2 to 3 weeks before our last
frost date. By the time they come up it is usually warm enough.If you
know you are getting a particularly cold night you can cover the
plants. I have never used pools to plant but it makes sense to me
especially for lettuce as it has very short root systems.

MJ

 


wrote:

All I can tell you is that I start mine 2 to 3 weeks before our last
frost date. By the time they come up it is usually warm enough.If you
know you are getting a particularly cold night you can cover the
plants. I have never used pools to plant but it makes sense to me
especially for lettuce as it has very short root systems.

MJ

Thanks,
I went ahead and started two flats of 50 each Black seeded Simpson and
Little Gem to transplant out to garden later.
Is it okay to direct seed outside now, is that what you are saying?
Thanks
Rita