Early Lettuce Seedlings

It’s early days for these lettuce seedlings so don’t give up on them. They look weak and spindly, but we’re guessing that it’s because they are indoors at this point. Harden them off soon by putting them outside in a shaded location during the day for the next week, bringing them in at night. After that week, transplant them into the garden. Although they may show some shock when exposed to “the real sunshine” they should recover – water them when the soil looks and feels dry and fertilize with the liquid organic fertilizer of your choice. They should be fine once they have room to stretch their roots and are toughened up by the conditions outdoors. Plants raised inside are always kind of wimpy because they aren’t made strong by the wind and other environmental stresses.