Your not too late Jennifer. Will you have your lettuce in containers which will sit inside the tub, or will you be putting soil in the tub itself?

You can plant outdoors now and for some time to come. You might want to plant small amounts of lettuce seed every week to ten days, so you have nice plants coming along all the time. Lettuce will want to bolt (flower and then go to seed) as the days get long in the heat of the summer, but if you can give your summer lettuce a little shade you might be able to extend your harvest. You can sow lettuce seed in a cold frame in August for late season harvests too. Good growing.

You can still start lettuce.

I started some Black Seeded Simpson in a milk jug (wintersown style - but I put it out this spring) and I had good success. If you do start it in a jug, I recommend spacing the seeds (try a moist toothpick to pick them up) rather than scattering them. I just put the rest of mine in the garden this week. They were about an inch or so tall and would have been easier to get out if I had spaced them better.

I also started some inside under lights but I won't next year. The jug was lots easier.

My mom grows her lettuce in a big container (but she's not in CO).

I have some pics in my camera. I'll try to post them when I've got them downloaded.

J, I'll say that it is a real good time for you to plant lettuce, inside or out.

Lettuce doesn't have special requirements other than plenty of nutrients and plenty of water. Okay, it has requirements.

One thing for sure, it will pop up quickly given some moisture and just the minimum of warmth. Once up, partial shade or full sun should both be okay. Maybe afternoon shade works bestest.

I've never "containerized" lettuce thru its entire growth, that I can remember. It should do okay that way, tho' - see above on water needs.

Have fun with your salads!

digitS'

Thanks!

I can do it either way, with them IN the tub or with them in long planters (I can fit two planters in the tub) that are set inside the tub.

I had zero success with the milk jugs so I'm not sure I want to try them again. Although, Skybird recommended trying a planting mix without vermiculite, so maybe I'll try that.

How big do the sprouts have to be before being re-planted?

thanks!!

First set of true leaves, anyway . . .

S'

Lettuce is somewhat frost hardy, so don't worry too much about planting them outside at this time of year.

Yes, it is better to push the frost than the heat. Mine are up and running well and I'm prepping to put up a shade cloth for our expected mid-80s here in a couple days. But by all means get them in the ground. My lettuce from seed under lights inside is never as good as direct-sown.

Dan

Hi Jennifer --

"Red Sails" didn't take the heat well when I directly sowed them into a raised bed the first week of June, but "Paris Island Cos" (a romaine-type) was a champion and didn't bolt until late August. Tasty, too.

Also, ditto on using a shade cloth.