14 March 2007 - Sowing
One P40 module (cell tray containing 40 cells) per entry was filled with peat-free compost and watered in with a fungicide. Watering in with a copper fungicide, such as Bio Cheshunt Compound, will help prevent damping off disease.
A small dibber was used to create a hole for sowing the seeds (left).
Seeds were sown direct, three seeds per cell (right).
Lettuce germinates best in the light, so when sowing under glass it is not necessary to cover the seeds, as long as they don't dry out - in a propagator for example. Otherwise lightly cover with fine potting media, vermiculite or sharp sand.
The cell trays were then placed in a glasshouse kept at a temperature of no more than 20°C (68°F). Lettuces don’t germinate well at high temperatures, but as our seeds are being sown under glass we can control the temperature. When sowing seed direct outside, especially in summer, it is advisable to sow in the afternoon, so that the temperature-sensitive phase of germination, immediately after sowing, takes place at night.
As soon as the seedlings germinate the trays will be moved to an area at 15°C (60°F) and the seedlings will be thinned to one per cell.