Last year the lettuce seed got washed out twice by heavy rains. I thought they germinated better indoors if they were covered? I put domes on the flats yesterday, the lettuce got some afternoon sun so a little condensation - think I'll need to take the dome off this afternoon? But the seed is planted so shallow, I don't want it to dry out. I do have a south-facing window by the basement door, I can move them down there if you think that's better but not in the next week - they might freeze. Or since my racks are still set up from trying to ripen tomatoes, I can set up grow lights on those (farther from door), but I don't know if lettuce needs *that* much light before it germinates. I really should have planted peppers yesterday - hard to believe our last frost is only a little over 2 months away (I hope). Winter weather advisory tonight - tomorrow's high will be 17, low 6 with wind chills below zero. Sat might be warm enough (though rainy) to melt more snow and seed more flats out in the garage - I'll do the peppers then. Maybe tatsoi too, depending on what the 10-day forecast says. Right now looks like snow early next week, waiting to see what the first day of spring will be like!

A) I didn't mean that you should wash it in undiluted vinegar - just an acidic rinse; and vinegar is a nontoxic and mild acid most of us have around. I don't know about the current growth thing. Lowering soil pH or perhaps fertilizing with a fertilizer that tends to be more acidic is another possibility - or adding an ounce or two of vinegar per gallon of irrigation water. I don't have a lot of personal experience in trying to get rid of 'that muddy taste', so I'm going with reversing the situations that caused it in the first place as being logical. I did go as far as looking up 'geosmin' and found that acids break it down into neutral (tasting/smelling) compounds, though. B) Good question about the condensation, but I don't know the answer. Since it likes moisture and higher pH, I would think it likely that it could. Condensation has a neutral pH, which is higher than the ideal garden/container soil's pH. At least you have a starting point (geosmin). I hope you're able to ferret out the answers and come up with a workable solution. I'm guessing not, but I should ask if you're doing any kind of foliar fertigation on these plants? Good luck - sorry for the lame attempt at the joke. You should've left out the "Without the jokes ..." part. lol If it wasn't me, it would have been someone else. Take care, VR. Al

im in central texas and there is no way your going to be able to grow lettuce or spinach this time of year here in texas. i start my spinach and lettuce in oct 1 when the heat has died down. my spinach will grow the whole winter and replant again in feb 1. will grow until the heat comes. the cucumbers have some root rot or fusarium going on. root rot can be a cause from over watering and will wilt suddenly. i have gotten white stems on my cucumber plants and found i was over watering. they do sell cucumbers that are resistant to fusarium wilt. i have grown cucumbers from spring all through to winter. they will not get pollinated during the heat of the summer. which is useless to grow them when the heat hits 100's. i start over again by planting the middle of august. by middle sep they are setting fruit when it is cool. the sqaush needs some nutrients., looking like it is a potassium difiency. how much are you watering these plants? i start mine during the spring it will start out fast and usually slows down after the first flush of squash. but it will produce slowly. you will still have a pollination problem during the heat of the summer. bees dont like the heat either i guess. i also replant middle of august again. lot of calenders will tell you to plant first sep. but you need to count in germination time. also i start my beans middle of aug too. by the time first frost hits i have already harvested.

if you've already done your raised beds you have the hard part done. just buy a packet of seeds or a 6 pack of plants (nurseries & garden centers should have). you can start them now through about february, but you'll get more over time by doing it now. follow the instructions on the packet for the seeds or plant the plugs. it's really that easy. you don't need to worry with rows if you don't want, and you can even make designs with the red and green types. don't cover lettuce seeds with dirt- they need light to germinate. you may want to lightly cover with sheer fabric or reemay/row cover(also at the garden centers) to keep the birds from snacking on your babies or seed. reemay will also extend the harvest as it gets colder, but it isn't necessary. the lettuce will lift it as it grows, or you can prop it up with sticks. keep it reasonably moist but not soggy & you'll quickly see germination if the seed is good. the seed lasts for a few yrs if kept dry and reasonably cool. seed is a much more economical way to do lettuce, but if you're anxious for plants, you could try a few 6 packs and seed also, so you get the lettuce at harvestable size sooner, then more as the seedlings in turn get big enough to harvest. grow as much as you have room for- it's addictive and easy to give away if you get too much. for one person, i'd plant at least a 4'x 4' area. more if you really eat a lot of salads. lettuce grows fast in the right conditions- cool & moist. you can pick at most any size. some mixes are made specifically to harvest tiny (usually called mesclun or cut & come again). as the lettuce bolts, typically as it gets hot in spring, it will get bitter. just stop eating it when it's too bitter for you. really, starting with lettuce is one of the easiest veggies you can possibly do. oh, and don't worry with the headig types- go for looseleaf. some nice companions to winter lettuce are radishes (also super easy from seed) and green onions. buy a bag of the little onions & plant them, and you'll have green onions in about 6 weeks. or so. nothing's better with a steamy bowl of soup & fresh bread on a winter day. spinach is similar to lettuce- you space it out a bit more, is all, which is easy since the seed's bigger. mmm mm. enjoy! don't be afraid- just dig in! tammy