Growing head lettuce

The head lettuce is an unpretentious plant that can be grown all season. In contrast to lettuce, varieties of the cabbage subspecies take root very well next to shrubs, other cabbages and root crops, so there is no need to prepare separate beds to grow it. The decorativeness of the head lettuce varieties allows them to be planted even on flowerbed... The root system of lettuce does not go deep into the soil, therefore it does not conflict with the bark system of other plants. If you plant a head lettuce in partial shade, then its leaves will turn purple and perfectly complement the composition of the flower bed. In partial shade, lettuce will not form large heads of cabbage, so more seeds will need to be planted.

Planting seeds and fertilizing lettuce

In order for the head lettuce to take root well and give a crop faster, it must be planted in a sunny place. If you pre-grow the seedlings, then the salad can be harvested two weeks earlier. The lettuce is planted in shallow holes 5 cm in diameter or sown along the perimeter of the bed in the furrows. In order to increase the germination of seeds, they are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate.

The seeds must not be buried in the soil. The maximum sowing depth should be 1 cm. Before planting the head lettuce, the soil is loosened well to break up the crust.

After the first shoots appear, the head lettuce is thinned out, then the lettuce is fertilized with a solution of chicken manure. To prepare it, 200 ml of chicken slurry must be dissolved in 10 liters of water.

Harvesting and storing lettuce

Two weeks after planting the seeds in the ground, the lettuce will begin to form a head of cabbage, and after another week it will be possible to harvest. The head of lettuce is cut with garden shears or pruners.

If you want to save the salad until next season, then it must not be washed, otherwise the leaves will rot. Place the head of cabbage in a plastic bag and seal it tightly, then place it in the freezer. After freezing, the salad will not lose its beneficial qualities.

Planting a new salad

After harvesting the first harvest, you need to remove the remnants of the lettuce: the root system and the leaves remaining on the root rosette. They are carefully dug out with a garden trowel, and then furrows are prepared for new seeds. It is necessary to add to the soil nitrogen and potassium-containing fertilizers. After fertilizing, the soil is well watered and dug up, then furrows are made and a new salad is sown.