Lettuce Seed Saving — FarmPal

Self-pollinating and easy. Let lettuce bolt (flower), then harvest the tiny fluffy seeds. Great for beginners building a seed library.

Pollination
self
Isolation
12-25 feet
Seed Maturity
55-80 days after bolting begins
Storage Life
3-6 years

Harvest

  1. 1Allow your best lettuce plant to bolt and flower
  2. 2Watch for fluffy seed heads (like tiny dandelions)
  3. 3Harvest when about half the seeds show white fluff
  4. 4Cut whole seed stalks and place upside down in paper bag

Processing

  1. 1Let seed heads dry in paper bag for 2 weeks
  2. 2Shake and crush to release seeds
  3. 3Winnow away chaff seeds are very small
  4. 4Seeds are elongated, dark gray to black when mature

Storage Tips

  • •Cool, dry storage essential
  • •Small seeds use coin envelopes

Pro Tips

  • 💡Lettuce is self-pollinating different varieties can grow near each other
  • 💡Select for slow-bolting plants to improve your variety over time
  • 💡One lettuce plant produces hundreds of seeds
  • 💡Works for all lettuce types: romaine, butterhead, loose-leaf, crisphead