- 1). Select the healthiest lettuce plants in the garden (that are ready to harvest). Taste a small amount of the lettuce being considered for seed harvesting. If it meets approval, attach a piece of brightly colored ribbon around the plant so it will not be harvested for the table, but allowed to mature for seed harvest.
- 2). Drive a wooden stake into the ground next to the tall flower stalk that develops as the plant matures and loosely tie the stalk to the stake to protect it from being blown over or knocked down by the rain. The stalk produces up to 25 fuzzy self-pollinating flowers on each stalk that will open at different times, for a very short period, over several weeks.
- 3). Harvest the seed stalks by cutting off the top of the stalks when they are mature and the seed in the flowers is no longer green. It is important that the stalks are harvested after they are mature, but before the seed is shed on the ground. Wait until at least 1/2 of the flowers on the stalk have gone to seed.
- 4). Place the stalk upside down with the head inside a large bucket in a cool dry place and allow to dry for two weeks.
- 5). Gently tap or shake the individual flowers as they mature to loosen the seeds and make them fall into the bucket. Not all of the flowers will mature at one time; it is best to wait until at least 1/2 of the flowers have matured before beginning the harvesting process.
- 6). Sort the seed from the chaff after all seed is harvested by transferring the contents of the bucket to a large, shallow bowl; then, swirl it around so the seeds settle to the bottom of the bowl.
- 7). Blow gently across the top of the bowl to remove the lighter flower parts and use your fingers to remove as much of the remainder as possible. Repeat the process until only the seeds are left.
- 8). Dry the seeds on a ceramic plate in a cool, dry room in the house for one week. Place them in an envelope for storage at room temperature. Use a waterproof pen to label the envelope with the name of the lettuce variety, the date of harvest and any other information pertinent to the lettuce.
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