Volunteer Lettuce?

The Cat's Other Mother 4/11/2017, 9:58 pm

I had mixed lettuces and greens in this garden bed last year, but I got really busy and the weather got hot and they bolted and went to seed, I guess. Anyhow, when I was clearing the beds for planting, these guys were already growing. They look like lettuce to me, but I'd like to be sure before I start using them in salads.

**Turan** 4/11/2017, 11:47 pm

Looks like lettuce to me. Nibble some and see how it tastes.
Lucky you having a head start in the garden!

BeetlesPerSqFt 4/12/2017, 12:15 am

Looks like lettuce to me, too!

herblover 4/12/2017, 8:48 am

I agree! In fact the top one looks like 'Black Seeded Simpson'. Is that a variety you grew last year?

Banned Member 4/12/2017, 9:54 am

Lettuce seems to be the most prevalent volunteer in our gardens as well. In fact, we have black-seeded simpson, salad bowl, and romaine all growing in parts of our yard where there is no garden. Or, I should say we had them until Bambi and her relatives made quick work of it.

**donnainzone5** 4/12/2017, 11:20 am

The one on top appears to be an oak leaf variety.

The Cat's Other Mother 4/12/2017, 10:00 pm

I think I had planted a variety mix of lettuces, no idea which types, but I'm going to start harvesting them and try them out! Thanks for the confirmation!

**Turan** 4/12/2017, 10:14 pm

From the size of that lettuce I would guess you can plant lettuce much earlier than you thought. Maybe next fall clean a bed up and seed it in lettuce and let it decide when is best to come up? Early lettuce, YUM!

The Cat's Other Mother 4/13/2017, 9:42 am

Interesting idea! We have such warm winters here I have wishing I could grow more between Nov and March, when it's not too hot and humid and there are no mosquitoes and fewer weeds. It sure would be convenient if I could just put spring seeds in a winter garden and let them come up when the weather is right for them! I tend to be a pretty lazy gardener!

CapeCoddess 4/13/2017, 10:01 am

Hi Cats other mother, why don't you try it and see what happens? Also there are threads on something called winter gardening where you put the seeds outside inside bottles and such. Google it at the top left and you can read about that. Maybe it would be great in your area. Have fun!
CC

Banned Member 4/13/2017, 11:31 am

We grew lettuce indoors one year. It wasn't the best flavor, but it grew under a grow light and stayed tender.

We planted romaine, Black-seeded Simpson, and Salad Bowl and kept it on top of our kitchen hutch with a grow light placed in the under cabinet lights.

The only problem was that because these pots were in the kitchen, it was too tempting to just pluck a leaf all the time to snack on. So, we never actually had enough to make even one salad. On the positive side, eating a leaf of lettuce meant not eating something not so healthy or even healthy but high-calorie.

We didn't plant lettuce this year--it was too hot much too early, and the calendar caught us napping. The rabbits are depressed.

**sanderson** 4/14/2017, 3:03 pm

Depressed rabbits! Razz

**Scorpio Rising** 4/15/2017, 12:03 pm

Looking good! I agree, I would put some seeds out this fall and see what happens! Volunteer Lettuce? 3170584802

**Turan** 4/15/2017, 12:12 pm

I was digging in the greenhouse yesterday and found volunteer lettuce as well.
Next fall I swear I will do a better job cleaning up in there and sprinkle a bit of lettuce seed to come up when it chooses!
Will I remember though? Rolling Eyes

**Scorpio Rising** 4/24/2017, 9:28 pm

Interesting, I just filed the birdfeeder, and I had dumped a bunch of unidentifiable or unwanted seeds from last year under the bird feeder, and there are some lettuces and a couple kales up!

Banned Member 4/25/2017, 9:23 am

This is quite hilarious. While taking my morning constitutional at the crack of dawn, I noticed that there are at least 25 to 30 volunteer lettuce plants growing in the embankments of the yards on my side of the street. It looks like romaine lettuce growing beside the creekbed.

Isn't it ironic that no predator has chosen to eat this free lettuce that nobody is doing one thing to protect and probably nobody other than me knows it is lettuce.

Yet, if I plant lettuce in my garden, the deer will have it digested before the sun rises.

**donnainzone5** 4/25/2017, 5:29 pm

They know it's edible if it's planted in the garden. Otherwise, questionable.

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