when to plant lettuce in your garden and pot
When we plant lettuce in the garden, we do it in ridges or benches at a height of 25 centimeters. When to plant lettuce? The plants are not in contact with moisture and avoid attacks caused by fungi.
Lettuce is a cool climate crop planted in the garden in early spring or late summer. At high temperatures, growth is stunted, the leaves can be bitter, and the stem is formed where flowers are produced, quickly lengthening. An undesirable phenomenon called spiky unless we want to reproduce the lettuce by seeds. However, some types and varieties of lettuce withstand heat better than others.
when to plant lettuce
Lettuce cultivation requires soft, permeable soil with abundant organic matter. They usually make seedbeds and then transplant the seedlings to the garden, in rows 30 cm apart and 20-30 cm between plants. Lettuces require at least two weekly irrigations since frequent light irrigations cause the leaves to develop rapidly. Overwatering, especially in heavy soils, can lead to disease, slow growth, and scalding or burning of the leaf edges.
The tying of the leaves facilitates their bleaching and makes them more tender. Romaine variety lettuces and other types of large leaves are highly valued in the market with white leaves. This is achieved by tying the lettuces 4 or 5 days before pulling them out. Some are not in favor of this system, since the sun does not penetrate its leaves and although they are indeed more appetizing and crunchy, they do not have the strength of the sun and have less vitamin D.
Harvest
Duration of the culture from 20 to 90 days. In summer in just 20 days they are ready for consumption. Many gardeners do not tend to tear them off completely, unless there are many at the table and the need requires it. But they are removing the leaves that are needed and in this way it is consumed more alive and fresh.
Grow lettuce in pots
Easy to grow, lettuce is one of the vegetables we bring to the table the most. The underdeveloped roots don’t need a lot of soil, so they will grow very well in pots. Healthy and decidedly low cost, lettuce has multiple qualities that make it a real panacea for health.
ALL THE NUTRITIONAL PROPERTIES OF LETTUCE
Rich in water, fiber, vitamins, mineral salts such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium, lettuce is perfect for intestinal transit problems. It also contributes to the proper functioning of the nervous system. There are three main varieties of lettuce: Roman, cap and cut.
SOWING
First of all, the choice is yours whether to grow lettuce starting from seeds or seedlings. In the first case, you will have to resort to the seedbed and then transfer the plants obtained in a pot. Alternatively, you can buy the seedlings directly from a nursery. You can grow lettuce from February through September. If you opt for sowing in seedbeds, the seedlings begin to sprout after about a month. To proceed with the cultivation, provide yourself with a pot at least 50 cm wide and 25 cm high.
GROUND
Fill it with soil mixed with compost and place a little sand and gravel at the pot’s base to facilitate the drainage of the water. Once the soil has been prepared, you can bury the seeds or seedlings: in both cases, make sure that there is a certain distance.
WATERING
Water regularly but not excessively, trying to avoid stagnation of water. Also, try to place the plants in a sunny place but not too much to avoid excessive heat burning them and in winter cover them with a cloth, especially if temperatures drop too low or there is a risk of frost. Once the lettuce leaves have reached the desired size, harvest them by cutting the lettuce 2-3 cm from the collar so that they can grow back again.
