I started planting seeds in the hoophouse February 4th. The soil is so cold that they have been VERY slow germinating – it has taken a month. But, at last:
This is spinach – that on the left was seeded into the hoophouse soil on February 5th. The plant on the right was seeded into a pot in the house and transplanted into the hoophouse February 15th.
This is lettuce. Notice how much smaller the seedlings are than the spinach seedlings. On the right – seeded into the hoophouse soil Feb. 8th. On the left, seeded into pots in the house same day and transplanted into the hoophouse just today (March 6th).
Quite a difference in size between lettuce seedlings and spinach seedlings. In both of the smallest you can see the seed coat still attached to the tip of a leaf.