Nope, I know of no nurseries in Maryland that sells fall lettuces now that you mention it. I'm sure it's too hot for many nurseries to start lettuce which requires cool temps to germinate.

I'm sure you must have a basement since you live in Vermont. Lettuce germinates better at around 65ish or cooler and basements are an ideal place to start your seeds. I'm not sure of the maximum temp for germination. If you can provide cooler temps you needn't worry about light so much. As soon as they germinate, you're good to go, just expose them to good light before they grow leggy. However, I think a shop light located in a cool room is all you'd need, as close to the lights as you can get them is best.

Thanks for the basement suggestion -- its a great one. But my problem usually isn't germination. It's more the gardener who likes to goof off at that time of year and can't be bothered with seedlings.

After posting this message I've resolved to bug some of our local vegetable growers to see I they'd grow starts for sale. I bet they'd sell well at farmers markets in September, as long as there was someone there to explain fall gardening to skeptical customers. I think its time to start a fall salad garden movement!

Thanks for the basement suggestion -- its a great one. But my problem usually isn't germination. It's more the gardener who likes to goof off at that time of year and can't be bothered with seedlings.

After posting this message I've resolved to bug some of our local vegetable growers to see I they'd grow starts for sale. I bet they'd sell well at farmers markets in September, as long as there was someone there to explain fall gardening to skeptical customers. I think its time to start a fall salad garden movement!

Greetings:

Lettuce seedlings do well in my kitchen window. I keep a container planted with lettuce seeds on throughout the summer. This particular ledge gets a couple of hours of direct sun in the late morning, indirect for the rest of the day.

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Blog

It should be fine to start seeds in the ground even if the weather is hot. 90% of all vegetable seeds will germinate in 80-90% soil temperatures. This is why many are germinated by greenhouses with heat.

Check with your state's Extension Service. Each county has it's own Cooperative Extension Office which provides free publications and information for the asking.

The following two images are excerpts from the Vegetable Planting and Planning Calendar for Missouri complete with spring and fall planting dates, how much to plant per person, etc. Just call up the office in your county. Look under the "Government" section of your phone book under "Extension". They will also have valuable vegetable/gardening tables available specifically for your area.

Violet

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Thanks, Violet for reinforcing my decision to direct seed my fall veggies. I expanded the garden this year so actually had room to plant new seeds in July -- something I wasn't able to do previously. Plus after two years of excellent work by my two ducks, the slugs that once ruled the garden have been subdued so the seedlings will have a chance to mature. (And I can spend my summer evenings picking raspberries instead of slugs!)

Don't know if I got the timing right but this week, in addition to a variety of lettuce types I planted raddichio, frisse, napa cabbage, gai lan (chinese broccoli) and asian scallions. Its hard to get onion sets in the fall so I like to plant scallion seeds in summer since they grow really well in the fall weather.

Faithling,

My pleasure.

Your timing doesn't have to be perfect. The seeds will know when the conditions are ideal. I planted lettuce seeds last year in the spring, they grew and I harvested. Some went to seed. In the fall, there were some "volunteer" lettuce plants from some of the seed that had fallen where the previous lettuce had been. I certainly hadn't "worried" about them because I didn't know they were there until they grew. You can help the area along by keeping it moist.

I planted lettuce about 2 weeks ago for fall harvesting. I will plant a succession this week as soon as I can. I planted a bibb lettuce in rows and will thin it when it gets big enough. The seedlings are all up and growing great. We have much better luck with seed germination and survival here in the fall than in the spring. The seeds germinate and take off much faster than in spring.