Lettuce seedlings

I wrote about Yugoslavian Red heirloom lettuce last year. I've also posted about lettuce going to seed. Now is the time when you start to see some plants from last years plants. Above is a picture of a head of Yugoslavian Red. I'm not surprised to see this plant pop up so early, even with overnight temperatures well below freezing. That's because the Yugoslavian Red loves the cold and is one of the first lettuces to go to seed in hot weather. Over the next couple of weeks I expect to find arugula and oakleaf lettuce plants near the beds they grew in last year. But remember, not all plants will produce well from seeds they drop the year before. For example, many hybrid plants like squash will produce vegetables that are odd looking or inedible due to cross pollination. There are seed saving organizations that can walk you through seed saving in your garden. Or, just let your lettuce go to seed and you will enjoy some more next spring!