How to Grow Lettuce: 5 Ways to Sow

Lettuce is one of the oldest types of cultivated vegetables. It is native to the Mediterranean region, but today it is grown all over the world.

The salad is rich in vitamins and minerals. It contains protein, fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamins B6, C, A, E and K.

Its regular use helps to reduce cholesterol levels, is a good preventative measure against memory problems and senile dementia. And this crop is grown quite simply.

There are several sowing methods that will help you always have fresh greens.

Method one: solid

In this case, a piece of the garden bed is set aside, onto which seeds are randomly scattered. They are covered with a thin layer of loose soil (compost) from above or simply dug into the soil with a hoe. The lettuce sprouts on about the 3rd day, subsequently forming a carpet of greenery.

The method is good because you can pull out young shoots and eat them, thereby thinning the crops. And those plants that remain in the garden bed after thinning will grow larger.

Method two: compaction

Sowing is done, as in the first case, in a continuous manner, but in a row. This is a good option for compacting other crops.

For example, you can sow lettuce with onions, tall tomatoes, peppers and other crops.

Method three: seedlings

Lettuce is sown in a moist substrate at a distance of 1-1.5 cm from each other. The depth of planting is 0.5-1 cm. After the emergence of shoots, the temperature should not fall below 8 degrees at night, and should not exceed 22 degrees during the day.

When the second true leaf appears, the seedlings should be transplanted into separate containers measuring 5x5 cm. Cassettes are ideal for this purpose.

When 4-6 true leaves appear, the seedlings are planted in the garden bed. When planting, it is important not to deepen the core of the plant, otherwise it will die or slow down in growth.

This method works best for head varieties. It can also be used when growing early lettuce to get greens 1-2 weeks earlier.

Method four: bouquet planting

With this method, you need to sow several seeds in a cup, and when the third true leaf appears, plant this "bouquet" in a bed. The method works well in dense plantings, since the "bouquets" are conveniently planted between other crops throughout the garden, thus saving space.

Method five: sowing before winter

The seeds are sown in the garden bed after the onset of stable frosts. The method is good for those who do not have the opportunity to go to the dacha early in the spring to sow greens. And so the salad will grow itself as soon as it gets a little warmer.

It is most convenient to combine these methods to always have fresh herbs on hand.

• Related news:
• salad
• growing
• garden
• green
• 27 March 2023

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