Mild Mesclun Mix Lettuce

MESCLUN MIX - formula blend of salad greens for greenhouse or field use.

1oz/28 g contains approx. 17,000 seeds and sows about 180-200 ft./56 m of row in a band 4 in./10 cm wide.

Mesclun is a French name for mixed young leaves for salad use. The small packets of seed are a pre-mixture of various salad greens and several types of leaf and cos lettuce. The lettuce seed blend is packaged separately inside the original packet in packages of 1 oz/28 g or more. Growers prefer to sow the lettuces separately because they take longer to germinate, are slower growing than most greens and they also take much more room in the row. This can result in the faster sprouting greens crowding out the slower emerging lettuce plants. For best results, make sure the seeds are spaced at least .5 in/12 mm within that 4 in/10 cm wide row.

GREENHOUSE: Sow extra early crops in hotbeds or in a cool greenhouse from Dec. 15 every two weeks (for a continuous supply of tender young leaves) till May 1st. Germinate @ 55°F/13°C soil temp. (high soil temps of 80°F/27°C will delay lettuce germination). Sprinkle seed thinly in a band and cover seed lightly about 1/8 in/3 mm of fine soil, then firm the soil. Keep air temps. cool @ 60°F/16°C days and 40°F/4°C nights. Seed should begin to sprout in a few days with some of the lettuce 10 days later. Keep seeded area moist until at least 75% of the seedlings have sprouted.

HARVEST: should begin in about three weeks. Clip about 1/2 of each tiny plant with scissors. Most plants in the mix will re-grow for additional harvests. When the growth begins to toughen up - move on to the next sowing.