Dennis Edward wrote:
FYI: west coast, zone 8, pretty much a newbie.


I want to grow lettuce and maybe some other early cold-season crops this
year, but I'm a little unclear on how it goes. I've been told that lettuce
seeds need to be refrigerated for 24 hrs to "trigger" them, but I've also
been told that they should be started indoors. So, do I refrigerate them,
then put them in trays indoors until they sprout, then plant them outside?

as long as they spent some time in the freezer, you can start them
indoors or outdoors.
I plant them in september outdoors to overwinter under cover, in
february indoors for transplanting in april, and in april I seed them
outdoors. They all come up.

Any limit on temp? Will frost kill lettuce seedlings? If so, how early can I
really do this? Will a frame-and-plastic-tarp setup help significantly?

Seedlings are very frost resistant. In Zone 8 I am guessing that you
can
plant them outside in february.


I'm also interested in doing this for other early crops like maybe
rutabagas. Any others?

Arugula maybe, and chard, which here in Michigan is ready in June.
These are my main spring crops. Many others like radishes. Peas are
more of an early summer crop here.