Leafy Greens: Lettuce, Spinach & More
Save seeds from lettuce and other greens by letting plants bolt to flower.
Overview
Lettuce is one of the easiest seeds to save - it's self-pollinating and produces abundant seed. Simply let plants bolt (go to flower) and harvest the fluffy seed heads. Spinach is trickier as it's wind-pollinated and dioecious.
Crops Covered:
self-pollinated
dry processing
1-2 weeks additional if needed
Lettuce: 3-5 years
Understanding Pollination
Lettuce is strongly self-pollinating. Spinach is wind-pollinated and will cross.
Isolation Distance
Lettuce: 20 feet; Spinach: 1/4 mile or bag flower heads
Key Tips:
- Lettuce rarely crosses - 20 feet is plenty
- Spinach is wind-pollinated and crosses readily
- Arugula will cross with wild arugula
- Swiss chard crosses with beets
- Let lettuce flower stalk grow tall
Step-by-Step Guide
Mark plants with best traits early before they bolt.
- Look for slow-bolting, good leaf quality, disease resistance
- Select 4-6 plants minimum for genetic diversity
- Mark plants before they look bolty
- Remove off-type plants before flowering
Allow plants to send up flower stalks.
- Lettuce bolts readily in heat and long days
- Flower stalk will grow tall (3-5 feet)
- Small yellow or blue flowers open
- Each flower produces seeds
- Process takes 4-6 weeks from bolting to seed
Collect fluffy seed heads as they dry.
- Seeds ready when you see fluffy white pappus
- Look like small dandelion puffs
- Harvest into paper bag daily as they ripen
- Or cut whole stalk when mostly dry
- Seeds ripen over several weeks
Separate seeds from fluffy chaff.
- Rub heads to release seeds
- Winnow to remove fluff
- Screening helps separate seed from chaff
- Seeds are small with pointed ends
- Some fluff is okay - won't affect storage
Harvest Timing
| Crop | Harvest Stage | Days After Flowering |
|---|---|---|
| Lettuce | White fluffy pappus visible on seed heads | 12-20 days |
| Spinach | Seeds dry on stalk | 30-40 days |
| Arugula | Pods dry and brown | 30-35 days |
Processing: Dry Method
Let seed heads dry on plant, then rub and winnow to clean.
- 1Harvest when seed heads show white fluff (lettuce)
- 2Place in paper bags to dry further
- 3Rub to release seeds
- 4Winnow in breeze to remove fluff
- 5Screen if needed
Drying & Storage
1-2 weeks additional if needed
Paper bags in dry location
Test for Dryness: Seeds should be hard and not bend
Paper envelopes, Glass jars
Cool, dark, dry
Lettuce: 3-5 years, Spinach: 3-5 years
- Lettuce produces lots of seed per plant
- Some fluff in stored seed is fine
- Very easy seeds to save