How to grow mesclun mix lettuce with the Paperpot Transplanter

Paperpot settings for mesclun mix lettuce

Use 6″ paper chain pots, drop one seed per cell with the Kwik Klik Slide, and transplant 4 rows on a 30″ bed, 7.5″ apart. Plan on about 3 trays per 100′ bed.

Paper chain pot	6″
In-row spacing	6″
Rows per 30″ bed	4 (7.5″ apart)
Trays per 100′ bed	3
Kwik Klik top plate	Paperpot 264, 3 mm thick, 5 mm holes
Seeds per cell	1
Seed per 100′ bed	760 seeds (+/-)
Cultivars	Salanova, Easy Leaf
Germination	48 hours at 68°F
Days to transplant	28 days
Days to maturity	60 days
Harvest window	27 days
Harvest unit	Pound
Yield per 100′ bed	130 lb

Bed figures are for a 100′ x 30″ bed. From the Paperpot Co. Growers Notes, developed with farmers Erich Schultz (Steadfast Farm) and Seth Davis. Adjust for your climate and conditions.

Bed preparation

• Broadfork the bed to aerate and loosen the soil.
• Smooth and shape the bed with a bed prep rake, removing any debris.
• If the previous crop was fertilized, mesclun mix will do fine without reapplying. If not, either layer on 1″ of compost (enough to mostly cover the native soil) or sprinkle on alfalfa meal and pelleted chicken manure.
• If you layer compost, don’t tilth it in, so surface weed seed stays smothered. If you add amendments, tilth the top 1-2″ to mix them in.
• Irrigate for 10 to 14 days* to germinate weed seed in the top layer of soil, then flame weed once the weed cotyledons are up.

Seeding

• Set a germination tray with 6″ paper chain pots and fill with potting mix.
• Set up the Kwik Klik Slide with the Paperpot bottom plate and the Paperpot 264, 3 mm thick, 5 mm holes top plate.
• Pour seed on the top plate and work it until one seed sits in each hole. Line the seeder up over the tray and slide the plate to drop seed into every cell at once.
• Water the tray, then germinate for 48 hours at 68°F.
• Move trays to greenhouse benches as soon as you see germination.

Transplanting

• Water the trays thoroughly before heading to the field.
• Plant four rows of lettuce with the Paperpot Transplanter: 7.5″ between rows, 3.75″ from the outer rows to the bed edge.
• New to the transplanter? See the how-to guide and videos.

Bed layout

Irrigation

• Water the bed in thoroughly with overhead irrigation or four lines of drip.
• Frequent, consistent watering keeps lettuce succulent and keeps bitterness away.

Cultivation

• 10-12 days after transplanting, cultivate with a flex tine weeder. Repeat 7 days later.
• A collinear hoe also works well in lettuce.

Harvest

• Harvest when heads are about 6″ across. Cut just above the growing tip, about 1″ above the soil, with a sharp knife, for 2-4″ leaves. Cut higher if the leaves are too big.
• Clean up leftover leaves so the core regrows cleanly for the next cutting, and pick out insects and debris in the field.

Washing and packing

• Agitate by hand (or with a bubbler) for no more than 4 minutes, scanning for debris, bugs and damaged leaves.
• A produce-safe sanitizer such as SaniDate 5.0 in the wash water kills pathogens and helps shelf life.
• Spin dry, bag (usually 1/2 or 1 lb) and store at 35°F. Sell within 3 days of harvest.

Mesclun mix lettuce in paper chain pots: FAQ

Other crops

basil · beets · bunching onions · cabbage · cilantro · dill · fennel · garlic · head lettuce · kohlrabi · leeks · Little Gem lettuce · onions · snap peas · salad turnips · spinach · storage radishes · summer crisp lettuce. All crops in one table: the Paperpot growers notes.