If you ask me what a perfect homegrown lettuce seedling looks like, I would show you the photo above. The lettuce in the photo is the oakleaf variety with that classic oakleaf shape. I started it on March 16th indoors under grow lights, in a seed-starting cell tray along with many other vegetables. And this is how it looked on April 5th.
Here is why I think it is perfect:
- It grew incredibly fast. It reached this size in just 20 days. Although it is not huge, it is still large enough to handle transplanting without a problem.
- It looks healthy and vigorous. There is no leaf yellowing and its roots are white and strong as well.
- Transplanting it was incredibly easy. It was the only seedling that sprouted in its cell, so its roots were not tangled with others. I could get it out easočy, with no stress at all, and let it keep growing fast.
I already uppotted this one to make it even larger and tougher against slugs, but honestly, it was more than ready to go straight into the garden as it was.