Hey Momma, I too am in the East Bay. I have had great success with lettuce in the Winter. This is my first time trying it in the summer. I have started it from seed inside, but I am concerned about it. If it does not take I will go buy some starters at the nursery (Evergreen in San Leandro is good). I am going to plant it where there is sun but definately not the hottest place in the garden. Also I have had some success planted them in a half wine barrel. Then I can move it to a better (although very heavy) - more like roll with help. Good luck. Lovin the rain. jack

I've always grown the purple/white head variety, putting out transplants in Spring; never tried sowing seed. But for some reason, I was thinking there was the leafy herbal looking radicchio and then there was the variety that forms heads; however the seed packet has a picture of a beautiful little head of radicchio on it so you're right. It just depends upon at what stage you want to harvest it I guess. I'll try cutting off the green leaves later and see what happens. Thanks!

Beets can be planted in MN until the end of May. The frost isn't even out of the ground in the northern part of the state now. Most root crops don't do well in a pot. Healthy beets can have a tap root well over 2 foot long. Remember to thin your beet plants after the start coming up.

Ok thanks Dave. I think I will give planting all my early Spring stuff a go this weekend. 60 degrees and sunny right now, tempting to bring all my seed trays outside. EDIT: I brought all the nightshades outside and potted them up. It's nearly 70 degrees out! They seem to be having no problems with the direct sun. But I will bring them back in soon. I potted up all but the 2 week old tomatoes just now out of those crappy peat pots, and followed Dave's previous suggestion and only half filled the 3.5" pots with soil.