"AndyS" wrote:


Can I harvest seeds from the bolting lettuce to use next year ?

But of course! If the lettuce is a hybrid, you may not get the same thing
you have now. Lettuce doesn't cross-pollinate easily, so few worries about
crossing with other types nearby.

Where are the seeds formed and how should I harvest them...?

You'll get flowers on the bolted plants which will dry up to little seed
pods with tiny tufts of "cotton" at the ends. When you've got a bunch of
the seed pods, just cut the stalks and put them in a paper bag until good
and dry. Then rub between your hands to thresh the seeds. Screen out the
big chunks, at which point you should seed the seeds and smaller chaff.
You can simply plant this, or if you're a purist, put the mixture in a
shallow bowl and gently blow across it to clean the seeds. Be careful; the
seeds aren't much heavier than the chaff.

Once you've succeeded at that, get Suzanne Ashworth's "Seed to Seed," join
the Seed Saver's Exchange www.seedsavers.org and it's all downhill from
there.


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G